Moving On
by finnicklover123
Summary: Katniss has made a big mistake. She put her trust in someone who betrayed her. They broke her spirit and left her hurt beyond repair. So Katniss left to get away from her past. But she doesn't know that that one mistake will snowball her into the hardest part of her life. To get through it, she will need to decide who she can trust and who she should cut out of her life forever.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone! So this is the sequel to Real or Not Real. If you haven't read it, I strongly suggest you go back and do that. You could read this story without reading the other one if you would like to but I advise against it. Anyway, I hope everyone likes the first chapter to this sequel. And be sure to check out my other story Expect the Unexpected!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, or any characters from it.**

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_I am running. I hear feet pounding behind me. I don't know who is chasing me, I only know I have to get away. I round the corner and find myself in a dead end. I have no way out. A cloaked figure comes around the corner._

_"You're trapped," he says._

_I can't see his face. It is hidden behind a hood, but I know I know he doesn't have good intentions._

_"There's no where else to go Katniss," he says._

_He starts to walk towards me. I scream, but he covers my mouth with a gloved hand, "You're mine now."_

_He uncovers his hood and the person underneath is...Gale._

I wake with a start. I am sweating and shaking, and my sheets are tangled up around me. I look out the window and see the surf crashing onto the beach. It has been two months since the incident and I am still recovering. I have been staying in District 4 with Annie and her son, Finn. I haven't told anyone what happened except Annie. After I told her, she held me, and we cried together. We haven't talked about it since.

I haven't seen Peeta, so our contact has been limited to phone calls. My contact with Haymitch has been minimal. I haven't told him about what happened. In fact, the only two people who know are Peeta and Annie. I'm not ready to tell anyone else yet. The memory of it still haunts me every time I close my eyes. Peeta says that I will feel better if I talk to people about it but I don't see how.

"Katniss!," Annie calls, "Peeta is on the phone for you!"

I jump out of bed and head downstairs to answer the phone. Peeta's calls are one of the only things I look forward to every day. On my way to the phone I glance at the clock and see that it is almost ten. I can't believe I slept in that late. Usually I wake up screaming by 6:30. I guess my nightmares were delayed last night.

I pick up the phone, "Hello?"

"Katniss?" Peeta asks.

"Yeah its me," I say.

"How are you feeling?" he asks. His voice is full of concern.

"Okay I guess. I just woke up."

"Really? Did you have any nightmares?" he asks. He sounds surprised.

"Yeah, I still had the nightmare. Same one as always." I have the same nightmare every night. I'm always running and I always get caught. Its a vicious cycle that repeats over and over again.

"Katniss, I'm sorry," Peeta says sadly, "I still blame myself for what happened."

"Don't." I say firmly, "Haymitch tried to warn me about Gale but I didn't listen. It's my fault."

"Have you talked to anyone else about it?" he asks.

"No," I admit reluctantly. I can hear him sigh.

"Katniss, I really think that if you open up about it, you'll feel a little better."

"Look, I know you think it will help but I just don't see how." I say.

"You'll have more people supporting you for one thing," he says, "You need support if you're going to get through this."

"Fine," I say, "If I tell one more person about it, will you stop bugging me?"

He chuckles, "Sure Katniss, but you have to tell someone."

"Fine," I say quietly. I hear Finn coming downstairs, "I have to go Peeta. Finn is coming down."

"Okay." he says, "Bye Katniss. Remember to tell someone!"

"I will," I say. I hang up just as Finn runs into the room. Peeta and I agreed not to talk about what happened in front of Finn. The last thing we want is him asking questions.

"Hi Auntie Katniss!" he says as he runs past me into the kitchen.

Finn is almost 3 years old. He looks exactly like his dad with bronze colored hair and stunning sea green eyes. Every time I look at him I am reminded of Finnick and how much he would have loved his son. Finn doesn't know what happened to his dad and I hope it stays that way for a long time. Finnick's death still haunts me.

"Hi Finn," I say, trying to sound cheerful.

I don't think he hears me, he is too busy digging into the plate of pancakes Annie sets in front of him. I sit down at the table and Annie gives me a plate too.

"Thanks," I say.

"Did you sleep well or-?" she knows about my nightmares.

I just shake my head. She knows what that means. She gives me an apologetic look.

"Mommy, can we go to the beach today?" Finn asks, his mouth full of pancakes.

"I don't know Finn," Annie says, "I have things to do today."

"Please!" Finn begs, "We haven't been in forever!"

"I'm sorry. I just can't take you today." Annie says sadly. Finn's face falls.

"I can take him," I say without thinking about it.

"Yay! Auntie Katniss is taking me!" Finn claps his hands excitedly.

"Katniss are you sure?" Annie asks carefully.

"Sure it'll be fun." I say.

What I don't say is that maybe going to the beach and just having some fun will help me clear my head a little. Besides I need to think about who I am going to talk to about what happened.

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**Chapter 1 finished! I hope you guys like it, please review! And be sure to check out my other fanfiction Expect the Unexpected. If you chose not to go back and read the story that came before this, you might be a little confused. So go back and read the first story Real or Not Real. :) Hope you guys liked it and PLEASE review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! So, so, so sorry for the long wait. I have been really stressed out lately. I was in a play,and I had a big trip to Spain, and I had my eighth grade graduation last week. Plus, I have worked on my other story, and I would love for you to check it out :) But since it's summer now I will be writing more. Count on another update by the end of the week. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Don't forget to review.**

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After breakfast I get dressed in shorts and a T-shirt to go to the beach. When I return downstairs I see that Annie has packed us a picnic basket with sandwiches and drinks.

"Thanks," I say.

She nods, "Have fun. Maybe this will get your mind off things."

"I hope so," I say with a soft smile.

Finn comes bounding into the room, "When are we leaving?" he asks me, eyes bright with excitement.

"Right now," I say fondly.

"Yay!" he is out the door before I can say another word.

Annie laughs and shoos me out.

* * *

I have to admit going to the beach was a good idea to get my mind off things. Finn and I played the entire morning. We went swimming, built sand castles, and hunted for shells. Everything was going well, until we sat down to eat lunch.

At first it was pretty quiet but suddenly Finn asks a question I wasn't ready for, "Do you know where my dad is Auntie Katniss?" The way he says it, so sweet and innocent, makes me want to cry. But I can't. That would leave to some tricky questions.

I don't know how I should answer. Does he know he died or does he think he just went away? I don't know what Annie has told him. I decide to play it safe, "That's not for me to tell you Finn," I say carefully.

"But you did know him right?" Finn asks hopefully.

I nod, "Yes."

"Was he nice?" Finn asks curiously.

I chuckle softly, "Yes. He was an amazing person but some bad things happened to him." I say.

"What happened to him?" Finn asks.

"I can't tell you. Only your mom can tell you that." I say.

"Did he love me?" Finn asks. His eyes are sad.

"Finn, your dad loved you very much and he is sorry he didn't get to spend more time with you." I say. Tears are starting to fill my eyes but I brush them away before Finn can see them, "We need to head home," I say, trying to change the subject. "Come on, pack up your stuff."

* * *

When we get home I immediately go to my room. I need to snap out of this. I can't live my life broken, running from anything that might hurt me. I need to get my life back together.

I run downstairs, "Annie!"

"What is it Katniss?" she looks concerned.

"Thank you so much for letting me stay with you but its time for me to go." I say

"Are you sure?"she asks.

I nod, "I need to get my life back together and hiding out here isn't going to do me much good."

She smiles softly at me, "Good for you Katniss."

I give her a hug, "Thank you Annie. For everything." Then I say goodbye to Finn.

"Why are you going Auntie Katniss?" he asks sadly.

"I need to go back home Finn. The people there miss me. But I promise I'll come back to visit soon okay?"

He nods and gives me a big hug. I pack up my clothes quickly and head down to the train station. I manage to get on a train to District 12 just before it pulls out of the station. I am sitting on the train when I realize I forgot to call Peeta. I laugh to myself. I wonder what he will think when I walk through the door. I see District 4 disappear through the window. I just want things to go back to normal when I get home. But I know that's not possible. Not after what happened. I can feel my eyes closing and I drift off to sleep.

The next thing I know the train is lurching to a halt. At first I am surprised we have made it back to District 12 so quickly but then I realize that we are just in District 7 for a fuel stop. Suddenly I remember my promise to Peeta, to tell someone about the incident. Who can I tell? I don't want someone like Annie who will comfort me and feel sorry for me. I need someone who will share my anger towards Gale and urge me to go back and face him. Then it hits me- Johanna. I quickly get off the train and give the conductor my ticket.

"I won't be getting back on," I say quickly and take off before he can say another word.

I walk through town, planning on asking where Johanna lives. I forgot what District 7 looked like on the Victory Tour. It's actually really pretty compared to District 12. Especially since it was refurbished after the war. There are lush trees everywhere that hide the smoke from the lumber factories that still exist. But lumber isn't the only thing in the District anymore. They have a town square with shops, a school, even a bakery. I smile, briefly reminded of Peeta. Lost in thought I bump into someone.

"Sorry-" I start to apologize then see a familiar head of spiky brown hair and large brown eyes, "Johanna?" I ask.

"Katniss?" she says, shocked, "What are you doing here?"

"I needed to talk to you," I say.

"About what?" she laughs. Then she sees the look on my face and turns serious, "Come on. Let's go back to my house."

Her house is small and enclosed within the trees. There is a large wrap-around porch, and it looks welcoming and inviting, the opposite of what I would expect from Johanna.

"This is beautiful," I whisper, "Why did you build it back here?"

She shrugs, "I wanted to get away from all the people I guess. It's nice to be able to hear myself think, you know?"

I nod, completely understanding. We walk inside and sit down in the living room. She disappear into the kitchen and comes back with a tray of sandwiches.

"What did you need to talk to me about?" she asks, taking a bite of the sandwich.

"Gale tried to rape me," I blurt out before I can change my mind.

She almost chokes on the sandwich, "What!" she yells, coughing.

I just nod softly, "He would have gotten away with it too if Peeta didn't save me."

"That bastard," Johanna snarls, "What did you do to him? Please say you killed him."

I laugh and shake my head, "I...ran away. To District 4."

"Are you serious?" Johanna sighs, "You're stronger than that Katniss. You've been in the Hunger Games twice! You've killed people tougher than that pansy."

I laugh. This is why I wanted to tell Johanna. She won't throw me a pity party or ask for details, she'll tell to get off my butt and get my act together.

"I'm actually headed back to District 12 now." I say.

"Good," Johanna says, "If you leave it will just show him that he won. If you go back, he will know you're strong and he can't hurt you." I smile. For tough girl like Johanna, she can have her moments.

"Thanks," I say, "I promised Peeta I would tell someone and now I have," I say.

"Why wouldn't you want to tell people?" Johanna asks, "If you need support, you'll have it. Then you'll have a whole group around you who hates that piece of crap." There is a pause, "SO when are you headed back?" Johanna asks.

"As soon as I can I guess." I say shrugging.

"The next train out of here doesn't leave until tomorrow but you can stay here if you want."

"Thanks Johanna," I say, but I'm not just talking about the invite to stay with her.

She nods, understanding what I'm trying to say without words.

I head upstairs and collapse on the bed in the guest room. I'm actually glad I got that off my chest. Without realizing it, I built up a wall around me that I wouldn't allow anyone to penetrate. But I am starting to let that wall down. Johanna made me realize that I need my friends in my life to support me. The more people I tell, the more support and love I will have. This is what Peeta has tried to tell me all along. I smile, thinking about Peeta. He will be happy I told someone. The last thing I think before falling asleep is that I can't wait to see the look on his face when I get home.

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**Whew! Finally, I'm getting another chapter out. I'm not sure that chapter was my best but don't worry, the chapters will get better. I have a couple interesting things planned for this story and I'm excited to see what you think! Please review and don't forget to check out my other story, Expect the Unexpected**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! Sorry its been a while since I last updated. I've been kind of busy because I have a piano recital this weekend and I've practiced a lot. But don't worry, I will be updating a lot this summer :) I hope you guys like this chapter and don't forget to review!**

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I wake up to bright daylight streaming through the window. I am surprised I didn't have any nightmares. I get up and head downstairs where I see Johanna sitting at the window, lost in thought. She hears me and turns around.

"You're up," she says. I nod, "How did you sleep?" she asks.

"Good actually," I say. I am about to ask her the same question but the bags under her eyes answer for me, "You still get the nightmares too huh?" I ask sadly.

"Yeah," she says, "Ever since the war ended its rare I can sleep through the night. I woke up at three this morning and didn't go back to sleep."

I nod in understanding. I do that a lot. After a nightmare, every time you close your eyes, the visions invade your mind and drive you crazy. It's easier to just stay up.

"So you heading out of here today?" Johanna asks me, trying to change the subject.

"Yeah. Listen, thanks for letting me stay Johanna," I say, "It felt good to be able to talk to someone about what happened."

She nods, "It wasn't a big deal. It gets pretty lonely here sometimes." she pauses for a minute before saying, "You know he's right."

"Who?" I ask.

"Peeta. You need to talk to people about this. You can't spend your whole life shutting these feelings down and keeping everything to yourself." Johanna says seriously.

I sigh, "Yeah Peeta usually is right. I just don't like to admit it."

Johanna chuckles, "He really does love you Katniss. Give him a chance."

I just nod, "Bye Johanna. Come visit District 12 sometime."

"Sure," she says with a smile.

I walk out the door and down to the train station. When I get there one of the employees stops me.

"Ms. Everdeen! There is call waiting for you." he says leading me towards a telephone.

Who would be calling me? I pick up the phone, "Hello?" I say cautiously.

"Katniss?" I hear a familiar voice say, "Thank goodness I found you. I've tried everywhere."

"Annie? Why did you need to call me so bad?" I ask, puzzled.

"I called Peeta last night to see how you were doing and he said he hadn't seen you. He is really worried Katniss. Why are you in District 7?" she says frantically.

"I stopped to visit Johanna. I'm sorry Annie, I should have called you." I say. Great, now Peeta is looking for me, "I have to go Annie. I am headed back to District 12 now. Call Peeta and tell him I'm fine." I say.

"Okay Katniss. Please call me next time. Peeta was freaking out." Annie says.

"I will, bye." I say, hanging up the phone before she can respond.

I run to board the train. Why didn't I think about that. I didn't tell anyone I was going to District 7. Peeta thought I was with Annie and Annie thought I was with Peeta. On the other hand, I shouldn't need to call them every time I do something. They aren't in charge of me and they aren't my babysitters. I am an adult. If I survived a war I think I can handle traveling by myself.

I am lost in thought and before I know it, the train is pulling into District 12. I get out of the train quickly, anxious to see Peeta again. Rain is coming down in sheets but I sprint through it anyway. By the time I get to the Victor's Village I am soaking wet and shivering. I open the door to my house and see Peeta sitting on the couch.

He hears the me come in and whips his head around. When he sees who it is he jumps up and runs at me. He picks me up and spins me around, kissing me before he sets me down again.

"Don't do that again," he says.

"Do what?" I ask.

"Just go off without telling anyone." Peeta says, "I was worried about you," he says softly.

I want to argue with him but I know he means well, "Okay."

"You're freezing," Peeta says gently.

"I'm fine," I say but I am shivering violently.

Peeta chuckles and leads me to the couch. He wraps a blanket around me and sits down next to me.

I decide to ask a question that's been on my mind for a while, "Have you seen Gale lately?"

"Katniss, why are you thinking about him?" Peeta asks with a sigh.

"I just want to know." I say.

"Yeah I've seen him. But every time he sees me he avoids my eyes and walks away from me." Peeta says.

I chuckle, "He's probably scared of you now."

"I hope so," Peeta says, "So how are you doing?"

"Better," I say, "I didn't have any nightmares last night."

"That's good," Peeta says quietly, putting his arm around me, "I missed you."

I nuzzled into his shoulder, finally starting to warm up, "I missed you too. I just needed some time to think."

"I know. So why did you visit Johanna?" he asks, changing the subject.

"I told her," I say carefully.

"You did?" Peeta asks. He sounds surprised.

"Yeah you asked me to tell someone," I say.

"But I didn't think you would do it this fast." Peeta says, chuckling.

I laugh, "Well she definitely made me feel better."

Peeta smiles, "What did she say?"

"I think her exact words were 'You've killed people stronger than that pansy'." I say.

Peeta bursts out laughing. This just makes me laugh and suddenly, I can't stop. I laugh until tears are coming out of my eyes. It feels good to be able to laugh and enjoy life again.

I stop laughing suddenly when I hear a knock on the door. I look at Peeta silently asking if it's who I think it is. He shrugs and signals for me to wait here. He stands up and walks to the door.

"What do you want," I hear him say. His voice is filled with anger.

"Please, I just want to talk to her." I hear a familiar voice say.

"You don't need to talk to her." Peeta says. He is trying to stay calm but I hear the anger peeking through.

I decide to go calm him down before he knocks Gale out again. I walk around the corner and see Gale standing in the door, dripping wet. When he sees me his eyes light up.

"Katniss!" he says hopefully.

"Shut up Gale. I don't want to talk to you. I'm just nice enough to stop Peeta from knocking you out again." I say, my voice is stone cold.

"Katniss you don't know how sorry I am." he pleads, "I wasn't thinking-"

"Damn right you weren't thinking!" Peeta yells.

"Peeta calm down," I say quietly. He looks at me but stops yelling.

I remember what Johanna says. If I run away, he wins. If I go back and face him, I'm strong. I take a deep breath, "Gale I thought we could be friends again but what you did erased all hope of that. No matter how many times you apologize, what you did was unforgivable. Now get away from my house. I never want to see you again." I slam the door in his face. Then I go look trough the window to make sure he left.

"Are you okay?" Peeta whispers, coming up behind me." I nod but there are tears streaming down my face. "Hey, that was amazing." Peeta says.

"Johanna talked some sense into me," I say, brushing the tears away.

Peeta smiles softly at me, "I'm sorry I freaked out back there."

"It's fine. He deserved it." I say, waving away his apology.

Suddenly I am exhausted. I grab Peeta's hand, "Will you stay with me?" I ask.

He nods, and leads me upstairs to my room. We crawl under the covers and he wraps his arms around me protectively.

"Good night Katniss," he says.

I don't respond. I'm already falling asleep.

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**Whew! Chapter 3 done. Sorry again for taking so long to update. I promise there will be another update by Sunday night :) Be sure to review and let me know what you thought, any suggestions or ideas, even just a smiley face. And be sure to check out my other fan fiction Expect the Unexpected!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! I know I promised I would update sooner but I had to drive two hour down to auburn and back then I had a voice recital this past weeeknd so I didn't get much time to write. But I promised myself I would update as soon as possible today so here you go! Hope you enjoy this chapter and don't forget to review!**

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I wake up in my bed, alone. I hear sounds coming from the the kitchen and pad downstairs, still in my pajamas. When I get to the kitchen I see Peeta pulling a tray of cheese rolls out of the oven.

"Morning," he says cheerfully, "How'd you sleep?" he asks.

"Good actually," I say.

Peeta offers me a cheese bun and I accept it hungrily, "Thanks," I say.

He nods, but I can tell there's something on his mind. He looks stressed out and there are bags under his eyes indicating that he didn't sleep very well last night.

"What's wrong?" I ask carefully.

"Nothing," he says quickly.

"Peeta, you can't fool me. You're acting differently. I know something's up." I say with a smirk.

He lets a small smile creep across his face, "Fine. You'll find out later." he says mysteriously, walking over to me and wrapping his arms around me.

I punch his chest playfully, "Tell me now!" I whine playfully.

He smiles at me, "Sorry. You're going to have to be patient."

I groan in defeat, "Fine. So what are we doing today?" I ask.

"We," he starts, "are going on a picnic."

"Isn't that a little cliché?" I ask, smirking, "Like don't all couples usually go on picnics?"

Peeta laughs, "I guess. But we are going to do it anyway."

He tells me to go shower while he gets a picnic basket ready. I do, and when I come back downstairs, my damp hair in its usual braid, I see him standing by the door eagerly.

"A little excited huh?" I tease him.

He nods and takes my hand. We walk through the Victors Village to the Meadow. I think we are going to stop here but Peeta just leads me further into the woods. We have been walking for a few minutes then Peeta stops me again and starts to put a blindfold on me.

"What are you doing?" I ask cautiously.

"Do you trust me?" he asks seriously.

"Of course but-" he cuts me off.

"No more questions. You'll see when we get there." he says.

He leads me through the woods for what seems like forever until he finally stops me, "Wait here." he whispers in my ear before the pressure of his hand on my shoulder disappears. I can't hear anything but the rustle of the leaves blowing in the slight breeze. I wonder where I am. I wonder what Peeta is doing. My questions don't go unanswered for very long.

I feel Peeta's hand on my shoulder and jump, startled. I hear him laugh, "Sorry. Are you ready?"

I nod vigorously, and he removes the blindfold. I open my eyes eagerly and an amazing sight waits before me. We are by my father's cabin in the woods. The lake is sparkling where the sunlight hits it. A red picnic blanket is spread out on the banks of the lake. Laid out on the picnic blanket is all my favorite foods. The lamb stew from the Capitol, Peta's cheese buns, and best of all, two decadent chocolate cupcakes with rich chocolate frosting.

"Peeta," I whisper. I'm at a loss for words.

"Do you like it?" He asks, wringing his hands nervously.

"I love it," I say walking up to him and kissing him.

I feel him let out a sigh of relief as he kisses me back.

When we break apart he says, "It took me a while to find this place but I did eventually."

"How long have you been looking for it?" I ask, still shocked.

He hesitates, "For about a month."

"A month?" I say quietly, "Why was it so important that you found it?"

A blush spreads across his cheeks, "That's the thing you'll find out later," he says quietly, looking at the ground.

I give him a soft smile, "Okay well for right now let's just enjoy this amazing picnic."

We sit down on the picnic blanket and dig into the food. For a moment its silent, then Peeta starts up a conversation.

"So how was District 4?" he asks.

I swallow a huge bite of cheese bread, "Its so pretty Peeta. The ocean is beautiful. I know we saw it on the Victory Tour but that was only for a moment. Its different when you wake up to it every day. I can see why Finnick loved it so much." At that I go quiet, thinking of Finnick.

"Sorry Katniss," Peeta says quickly, "I didn't want to make you bring him up."

"Its okay. I just miss him a lot." I say.

"You two were pretty close huh?" Peeta asks carefully.

I nod, "When you and Annie were in the Capitol he was my rock. He kept me grounded. When I was on the verge of breaking, he pulled me back. If it weren't for him I would have gone crazy."

Peeta takes my hand, "Well then I'm very thankful to him for that. You know he's not gone Katniss. Not really. He's still alive. In the ocean, in the sandy beaches, in little Finn. He'll never be gone."

Peeta's words almost make me cry, "Thanks Peeta." I say quietly.

We finish eating but its gotten strangely quiet. I can tell Peeta is getting nervous again, but I can't figure out why. When we finish eating Peeta says he needs to go get something and goes into the cabin quickly. I can't imagine what he would have to get but I let him go. I stand up and walk to the edge of the lake, looking out. I remember when I would stand here thinking how easy it would be just to run. To take off. To be free. Things couldn't be more different now. Suddenly I hear Peeta clear his throat behind me.

I turn around and see the biggest surprise of my life. Peeta is on one knee, holding a ring, "Katniss, I knew I loved you from the moment I saw you 14 years ago. Since then we've been through a lot. Two Hunger Games, a war, we've lost people we loved. But even after everything that's happened to us, we pushed through it. I don't know what's going to come next but I do know that I love you. And I don't ever want to be without you. So," he takes a deep breath, "Katniss Everdeen. Will you marry me?"

I stand there, my mouth opening and closing like a fish, unable to form words. Peeta looks at me waiting for an answer, doubt creeping across his face.

"Yes," I spit out, "Of course Peeta."

He puts the ring on my finger then stands up and spins me around. He sets me down carefully and places a gentle kiss on my forehead, "You love me?" he asks, "Real or not real?"

I smile, "Real."

After 3 years of thinking about that question I finally know my answer. It was so easy. Of course I love him. I think I've loved him for a long time. I was just too caught up in what was going on in my life to notice.

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**Yay! They're getting married! I loved this chapter and I hope you guys do too. Don't forget to leave me a review and I've decided that I'm going to start answering some of your questions. So if you have a question about me, this story, anything don't be afraid to ask. I will answer all of them, I promise :)**

**Here are review responses for last chapter:**

**j: Yep! It's back! I'm glad you liked last chapter and I hope you liked this one too. As you can see, your question was answered, she does stay with Peeta this time. I hope you liked this chapter and thanks for reviewing!**

**Nina08: I'm so glad you loved it and that it surprised you. The last thing I want is for my story to become predictable. I hoped you liked this chapter too! and thanks for reviewing :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys! So I got two questions after last chapter was updated. Both were from j (Guest) so thanks! Here are your answers:**

**1. How long between updates: That depends on how much time I have. Now that I am through my brief writers block I am hoping to update at least two or three times a week.**

**2. Do you planned to have them together through everything that might happen or will they be fighting each other?: Katniss and Peeta will have their occasional fights, but I think they are together to stay this time. I don't want to make any promises though, because the story could change down the line.**

**If you guys have any more questions don't hesitate to ask. I will answer them I promise! Hope you enjoy chapter 5!**

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I wake up in cold sweat, Peeta shaking my shoulder.

"Katniss!" he says.

I wrap my arms around him without saying anything.

He holds me close and rubs circles on my back soothingly, "Do you want to tell me what it was about this time?"

I hesitate, "It was at our wedding. He came. Snow did." I don't want to say any more. He understands what came next.

"Oh Katniss," Peeta says, pulling me closer to him.

Peeta and I have been engaged for about two weeks and we still haven't told anyone. Peeta wanted to but I just couldn't yet. I wasn't even used to it. The nightmares aren't making it any better. I haven't gone one night without waking up from a nightmare. They all involve Peeta and I getting married. It makes me think that maybe I am dreading this. I never wanted to get married and I especially never thought I'd marry Peeta after his hijacking. I do love him though and if he wants to get married then I'll do it. I try to convince myself that I overreacting about it.

"What time is it?" I ask Peeta quietly.

"Almost 5 in the morning," Peeta replies gently.

I crawl out of his arms, "I'm getting up."

Peeta just nods. It's been like this for the past two weeks. At first Peeta tried to get me to go back to sleep but I never could and eventually he gave up trying. Now I just get up if its close to morning. I go to my closet and pick out simple black pants and a forest green shirt. I slip on my dad's old hunting boots and put on his leather jacket.

"I'm going hunting," I tell Peeta. He just nods, eyes half-closed. He always sleeps later than I do.

Even though don't need to hunt anymore, I still love it. The woods give a sense of peacefulness. Every time I'm there it makes me feel like things might have gone back to normal. That I am going to home to Prim and my mother. That Prim's name wasn't reaped for those Games. But every time I leave, reality comes crashing back down on me.

I creep through the woods silently, half looking for game and half thinking about the engagement. I can't help but wonder if I made the right choice. I mean, I know I love Peeta but is marriage really necessary. When I was little I wasn't like those girls who dreamed of growing up and getting married. All I could think about at the time was whether I would be able to put food on the table the next day. I think part of me is still living in the old Panem. The one where marriage meant children and children meant risk of going into the Games. I have to remind myself that the Games don't exist anymore.

I decide to stop over thinking and just make a decision. I told Peeta I would marry him and he wants me to so I'm not backing out now. That would crush him. The question now is who to tell and when to tell them. I make a list in my head of who we would even invite to a wedding. There definitely aren't many. Annie and Finn, Johanna, Haymitch, Effie, maybe my mother. Most of the people we would've invited are dead. I think about how happy Prim would be to see me getting married, tears immediately flooding my eyes. Again, visions of that day fill my head. The parachutes falling from the sky. Prim rushing in to help, in full medical gear. The balls of flame consuming her.

I sink to the ground, my head in my hands. "_Don't fall apart_," I think, "_You can't do that anymore."_ I think of what Finnick said to me in the bunker over a year ago: _It takes ten times as long to put yourself together as it does to fall apart._

I stand up slowly and start to make my way back home. Along the way I shoot a rabbit and two squirrels. I carry them the rest of the way back and when I walk in the door I hear Peeta in the kitchen. I kick off my boots and put the game in the kitchen.

"Feel better?" Peeta asks, his voice full of concern.

I nod, "A little. I decided I want to tell people about us."

His face lights up with a grin, "Really?" he asks eagerly. I nod. "Are you sure?"

I laugh, "Yes I'm sure Peeta."

"Great! Who should we tell first?" Peeta asks.

I think for a minute, "Haymitch." I decide.

Peeta looks surprised, "Really? Wouldn't you want to tell your mother first?"

"Peeta, when was the last time I spoke to my mother?" I ask honestly.

He looks down at the floor, embarrassed, "I get it. So when should we tell him?"

"Peeta calm down. We don't have to tell him right this second." I say with a chuckle.

"Right. Sorry." Peeta says laughing, "Breakfast?" he asks.

I nod, suddenly famished. He passes me a plate of eggs and bacon which I dig into hungrily.

After I am done eating I look up to see Peeta staring at me, his eyes filled with eagerness.

I sigh, "Go call Haymitch." He practically runs to the phone and I burst into laughter.

I hear him talking to Haymitch then he hangs up and walks back over to me. What he does surprises me. He picks me up and spins me around.

"What was that for?" I ask.

"For being such an amazing fiancé," he says with a grin.

Fiance. That's such a strange word to me. I think I could get used to saying it though. I smile at him and pull him in for a kiss. Just as our lips are about to touch the doorbell rings. Peeta basically pushes me away in his rush to answer the door.

"Thanks!" I shout sarcastically.

"Sorry," he says quickly before getting the door.

"What do you want?" he asks grumpily. I forgot it's still early to him.

"We have to talk to you." I say, "It's important."

Peeta nods frantically and we go to the living room to sit down.

"We have some news," Peeta says excitedly.

"But before we tell you the news, there's something else I have to tell you," I say. I ignore Peeta's quizzical look and keep going, "When I left to District 4 it wasn't just to visit Annie."

Peeta looks at me with wide eyes, "Katniss you don't have to-"

"I want to," I say, cutting him off.

I tell Haymitch everything from Gale trying to rape me, to Peeta saving me, to my flee to District 4, to my talk with Johanna. He listens patiently through it all but his eyes are filled with concern.

"Why didn't you tell me?" is his only question.

"I thought it would be better to hold it in. To keep it to myself. I didn't want other people's sympathy. But I was wrong," I say, squeezing Peeta's hand, "Johanna managed to knock some sense into me. She convinced me that I need people around me who know and care about me, and support me. I'm just upset I didn't realize that earlier."

"Wow sweetheart. Well she was right and I'm glad you finally realized that. And that wasn't the news you called me here for?" he asks.

I laugh, "No that wasn't the news. Peeta didn't even know I was going to tell you that."

"Then what is the news?" he asks impatiently.

"You want to tell him?" I ask Peeta.

He takes a deep breath, "Katniss and I are engaged." he blurts out. It's obvious he's been dying to get that out for a while.

Haymitch looks from Peeta to me then back to Peeta. The shock slowly melting off his face and being replaced by happiness, "Really?" he asks, almost in disbelief.

"Yeah," I say, "We're getting married." Another word that feels foreign in my mouth.

"Wow. Congratulations guys." Haymitch says hugging us both, "I knew you would finally come to your senses Katniss."

"Me?" I asked shocked, "What about Peeta?" I say pointing at him.

"Haymitch laughs, "We all know he still loved you even when he was hijacked. It just took him a little bit to remember. It was you who needed convincing."

I look at Peeta but he just nods, laughing, "You're supposed to take my side!" I say in mock anger.

"Well he is right, " Peeta says.

I laugh. We continue a conversation with Haymitch before he decides to head back to his house.

"Who can we tell next?" Peeta asks.

"Ummm, I think I want to tell Johanna." I say mischievously.

"Okay," Peeta picks up the phone.

"Wait!" I say, "I want to tell her in person. I want to see her face when she hears."

"I don't know if I should be scared or excited." Peeta says.

"Maybe a little of both, " I reply playfully, "This is going to be good."

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**Yay! I finished chapter 5! So leave me a review and let me know what you think. I love hearing your criticism, feedback, anything. And don't forget, if you want to ask a question it will be answered I promise. And don't forget to check out my other story Expect the Unexpected. **

**Here are review responses: **

**j: Thank you so much! I'm glad to know people are enjoying my writing! And thanks for your questions I hope I answered them well. If you have any more don't hesitate to ask. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and thanks for the review!**

**Guest: Thanks haha. I'm glad you at least took the time to put that :) Hope you are enjoying the story!**

**MollieJanee: Haha! I'm dying laughing! Glad you corrected that ;) Thanks for that review it really made my day!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys! So although I haven't gotten any reviews yet from the last chapter I posted, I really felt like writing so I'm going to post another chapter. I hope you guys enjoy chapter 6!**

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I wake up filled with excitement. We invited Johanna to District 12 yesterday and she is coming this morning. I'm excited to see her face when we tell her Peeta and I are engaged. I remember what she said when I talked to her on the way back from District 4, "_Give him a chance. He really does love you_." I can't believe how right she was. I think she knew, even then, that I did love Peeta. Apparently Haymitch knew too. I guess I was the only one who didn't see it.

Peeta and I are eating breakfast when I hear a knock on the door. I practically sprint to the door to open it.

"Who's the excited one now?" Peeta asks.

"Shut up," I tell him, before opening the door to a very angry looking Johanna.

"This better be good Brainless. Why did you need to drag me out here?" was her warm greeting.

"We have some news for you," I say.

"And you couldn't tell me over the phone?" she says in disbelief.

I shake my head, "I wanted to see your face when I told you."

She groans, "Fine," then she pushes past me and goes into the living room where she sits on the couch and props her feet up on the coffee table, "Hey if I had to travel overnight on a train to get here, the least you could do is get me a drink."

"Hey Johanna," Peeta says, laughing.

"Hey look, Loverboy is here!" Johanna says in mock excitement, "Awesome."

Peeta brings her a glass of water and sits down on the couch opposite her with me.

She drains half the glass before turning to me, "So spit it out. What was so important. Wait, did you finally murder Gale?"

I burst into laughter at the excitement in her eyes, "No, I didn't do anything violent."

Johanna's face falls, making me laugh more. "Why are you in such a good mood?" she asks, "It's weird." she takes another sip of water.

I can't hold it in anymore, "Peeta and I are engaged!" I blurt out.

Johanna almost chokes on the water, "What!" she sputters.

Peeta laughs, "We're getting married."

"I told you to give him a chance Brainless!" Johanna yells at me, "Ha, I was right!"

Peeta gives me a confused look. I never told him about that part of our conversation.

"So when's the wedding?" Johanna asks.

"Woah, we just got engaged two weeks ago," I say.

This makes her mad, "You've been engaged two weeks and you didn't tell me?" she accuses me.

I shrug, "I didn't want to tell anyone yet."

Johanna looks at me in disbelief, "Hey Loverboy, do you mind leaving for a second? I need to talk to Brainless alone."

Peeta nods and leaves the room. As soon as he is gone Johanna starts talking, "All right what's really going on? I know there's more than that you just didn't want to tell anyone. Don't tell me you're getting cold feet already."

I shake my head, "No, I know I love him it's just that...I never pictured my self getting married. I never wanted to get married."

"That's it?" Johanna says.

"I guess I'm still half living in the old Panem. The one where getting married could be dangerous. It was never my priority then and it hasn't been since then. At least up until Peeta proposed." I say.

Johanna groans, "That Panem is gone Katniss. Haven't you realized that by now? Marrying Peeta isn't going to put either one of you in danger. I say if you love him, go for it."

I smile softly, "Thanks Johanna. Since when did you become my best friend?"

She shrugs, "When there was no on left to be friends with." she says.

I laugh, "You're probably right."

Peeta knocks softly on the door frame, "If you guys are done, I was thinking we could go into town. Maybe show Johanna around a bit?"

I nod, "Sounds great. What do you think Johanna?"

She shrugs, "Better than sitting here or going home so I'm in."

"Always so enthusiastic," I say sarcastically.

"Watch it Brainless," Johanna cautions, "I'm still lethal."

I laugh and we head out the door. My hand linked with Peeta's, and Johanna on the other side of me. I think about what Johanna said about us being friends. I guess she is right. There really isn't anyone else for me to be friends with. To confide in. I never thought I'd say this but Johanna Mason really is my best friend.

We head into town and visit the market where we introduce Johanna to Greasy Sae and some of the other venders who are still here. We are headed to the bakery when Johanna grabs my arm, "Is that him?" she asks.

I look around and see Gale walking down the street, "Yes," I say quietly.

She lets go of my arm, anger flooding her eyes, "Be right back," she says.

"Johanna don't!" I start, but she is already walking towards him.

"Excuse me?" she says, tapping him on the shoulder.

He turns around just in time for her to punch him in the face.

"What the hell was that for?" Gale asks.

"You don't recognize me?" Johanna asks coolly.

He starts to shake his head then realizes, "Johanna?" He asks. He is holding his face and wincing in pain every time he talks. I have to bury my head in Peeta's shirt to keep from bursting out laughing.

She nods, "Now you know what happens if you try to hurt one of my friends. Try anything else and I'll make you wish you were killed in the war Hawthorne."

He nods frantically and, with one last kick to the groin, Johanna turns around and walks back over to us, leaving Gale doubled over in the middle of the street.

"Your welcome," she says. I can't take it anymore. I burst out laughing, attracting several glances from passerby but I don't care. I definitely like Johanna now. I can't believe she just did that but I'm grateful to her.

"I can't believe you just did that," I say, still laughing.

"What?" she shrugs, "I was showing you how weak he was. And now between Peeta and me, he's probably too terrified to come near you ever again. Point one, Katniss." she says.

I chuckle, "Well thanks then."

On the way back to my house Johanna asks something that surprises me, "You know, it's been kind of fun actually having someone to talk to." she pauses for a minute, "Would you mind if I stayed here for a little while?"

I can tell she didn't like asking that. Johanna isn't the type of person to admit any sort of weakness from injury, to just plain loneliness. She hates asking for help. "Of course we don't mind Johanna. Hey, you could even help us plan the wedding."

"Yeah, as fun as that sounds, I think I'll be able to find something else to do." she says, but I can tell she is relieved.

Even though District 7 is her home, I dont' think she likes it there very much. Everyone there views her as an outcast because of what she has been through. Peeta and I are really the only ones left who care about her. No wonder she wants to stay here.

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**Sorry that was a really bad ending but I had to end it sometime. This chapter may have been kind of short but there was a lot to the plot line in it. Johanna is going to be in it a lot more now. So I hope you liked this chapter and don't forget to review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys! So this chapter is just a short, emotional chapter so there won't be much action but it's still really important. Hope you enjoy this chapter and please review! Last, I got 3 reviews last chapter so I want to get 5 this chapter. Please, please, please review! Anyway, on to the chapter**

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Today I don't wake up screaming. Instead I wake up with tears streaming down my face.

Peeta hears me and sits up, rubbing his eyes, "What's wrong Katniss?"

I try to brush the tears out of my eyes but It's no use, "Nightmares," I squeak out.

Peeta put his arms around me, "You're not over it yet are you?" I shake my head. "Do you want to talk about it?"

I hesitate. I don't want to talk about it but if I can't open up to Peeta, I won't be able to open up to anyone.

I take a deep breath, " I can't get it out of my head. Every time I look at him, I just feel conflicted. All these good memories from before the Games come flooding back to me. But at the same time, the horrible thing he did to me corrupts all that. He's changed Peeta. The war changed him, it changed everyone. Even though the Capitol's gone, they still find ways to hurt us." I'm sobbing now. "I wish I had never pulled out those berries. Then none of this would have ever happened. The whole war is my fault."

Peeta shakes his head, "You don't give yourself enough credit Katniss. You ended the Games. You took down the Capitol. You gave millions of people hope."

"Yeah, too bad half of those people are dead," I say sniffling.

"Katniss," Peeta sighs, "You can't blame yourself for all those deaths."

"Why not Peeta?" I yell at him, "I started the war! Finnick is dead because of me! Prim is dead because of me!" I have never done this before. These thought shave been swimming around in my brain for almost a year. I've kept them bottled up inside ever since the war ended, too scared to share them. Now I'm pouring everything out to Peeta. And although it feels good for all of it to be lifted off my chest, at the same time, it brings to light all the things that have been making me miserable. I've never shown this much weakness in front of anyone before, not even my family.

"Katniss it's not your fault. It's President Snow's" Peeta says patiently, "He killed those people."

"Not all of them," I say, thinking of Gale designing the bomb that killed Prim.

Peeta's face clouds with anger, "Yeah well that person isn't in your life anymore. Stop beating yourself up for it Katniss. I'm sure that, wherever those people are now, they would want to see you moving on, not wallowing in their deaths."

I think about that for a minute. He is right. Prim would tell me to get up and marry Peeta. To live life with him while I can. Finnick would tell me that life is fragile and could end at any second, so I need to live life right now and focus on the good things.

I sigh, "You're right Peeta. Look, I'm sorry for breaking down like this."

"Don't be," he says, "Even the Mockingjay has to ave a weak moment at some point."

I chuckle, "I guess so."

Peeta lays back down, "Are you going back to sleep?" he asks. I just shake my head. He understands not to press it further and lets me leave the room without another word. When I walk outside I see Johanna sitting on the couch. I completely forgot she was here.

"Couldn't sleep?" I ask.

"No, I was woken up by you screaming at Peeta." she says.

"Sorry," I say, now a little ashamed at my breakdown.

"I heard what he said to you." she starts.

I groan, "Please don't tell me that he's right. I know he is. He always is. He's the only one here with good judgment. I make stupid decisions, and don't think things through, and jump to conclusions. I know I need to listen to him more often and I don't need anyone else reinstating that." I say angrily.

"Woah calm down Brainless." Johanna says, "I was going to say that you were right."

"What?" I ask.

She sighs, "You did start the war. Technically some, and I'm only saying some, of those casualties were your fault."

"Wow, thanks Johanna. That really makes me feel better," I say sarcastically.

"You didn't let me finish." she says, "You're focusing on all the bad things that came out of the war. My old doctor might have been crazy but he said one thing that stuck in my brain. He told me not to focus on the negative. Instead, make a list of all the good things in life. I think you should try it."

"What good thing could come out of all those people dying?" I ask sadly.

"Stop being such a pessimist. The war didn't just cause deaths." I look at her blankly. She groans, "Fine. I'll give you a list. The Capitol is gone, the Games are gone, everyone who is left is safe now, you figured out who you needed in your life and who you didn't, and you can safely start a life with Peeta without worrying about the Capitol interfering."

I sigh, "But that doesn't change the fact that I caused people I loved to die."

Johanna grabs my shoulders and slaps me hard across the face, "You need to snap out of it. You're living in your own pity party. You're breaking when the people around you need to be whole. Stop it." she says firmly.

I groan, "You're right Johanna. You have a funny way of showing it, but you're right."

Johanna chuckles, "Well I had to make you see sense somehow."

I laugh, "Thanks Johanna."

She just smiles at me. Then she yawns, "I'm going to go back to sleep. It's only three in the morning. You should too Katniss."

She heads back to her room. I yawn, worn out by my emotional breakdown. I head back into my room where I see Peeta fast asleep. I crawl beneath the covers and rest my head on his chest. I go to sleep determined to wake up different tomorrow. No more feeling bad for myself. No more crying over the deaths. I'm done.

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**So that's it. Just a short little chapter. I felt like Katniss's feelings at this point haven't been fully explained so I wrote this chapter to do so. I felt like she had a lot of feelings that she's been compressing inside of her since the war ended and she has been blaming herself for everything. I wanted to express that in this chapter. I hope you guys liked it and please review! Remember I want 5! **

**Here are the review responses:**

**Mama'sBrokenHeart99: Yeah I agree. Gale deserved everything Johanna gave him. And I don't know if Johanna will move to District 12. But it's a good idea. Hmmmm :) Anyway thanks for reviewing and I hope you enjoyed this update.**

**AnonymousAvox: I'm glad you like Johanna! I was a little nervous writing her because I thought it would be hard to find a balance between sarcastic and almost mean, and caring and insightful. I'm glad I seem to be pulling it off. And as for your note, trust me I have a big twist planned further ahead in the story. I'm working on making it more realistic and not overly dramatic but when I get everything worked out, there will definitely be an unexpected twist. Thanks for reviewing and I hope you liked this chapter!**

**KittyKat: I'm so glad you read all my stories and enjoyed them so thank you so much for that! I'm not sure if Johanna will get fixed up with anyone. Hmmm. You guys are full of ideas about her aren't you? :) I'm glad you liked how I portrayed the characters because I want to make them like they are in the book so I'm glad I'm doing a good job with that. Thanks for reviewing and I hop you liked this chapter! **


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey guys! So sorry for the wait. I was on vacation and I just got back today. I came up with the idea for this chapter on the car ride back so I had to type it as soon as I got home. I hope you like this chapter and don't forget to review please!**

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I wake up to Johanna shaking my shoulder, "Katniss!" she yells. She sounds upset. I get up immediately.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

"It's- it's Peeta!" she says frantically.

"What's wrong with him?" I ask.

I think he's having an attack." she says.

"What!" I shout. I don't give her a chance to say anything else before I am out the door of our bedroom and running down the stairs.

"Katniss wait!" she calls after me. She grabs my arm and stops me halfway down the stairs, "What if he tries to hurt you again?"

I shrug, "Johanna I have to help him." I wrench my arm out of her grasp and run down the stairs. I stumble into the kitchen and see Peeta.

His pupils are dilated so that they swallow up the pretty blue I've come to love. He is walking around smashing dishes screaming my name.

I run over to him before I can really think about it. I know it was a stupid thing to do but I feel like I have to help him.

As soon as he sees me, his face clouds with anger, "You!" he yells, starting to walk towards me, "You killed my family!"

I back up slowly, "No I didn't Peeta." I say calmly.

"Then where are they Katniss?" he yells.

"They aren't here Peeta but it wasn't my fault. It was the Capitol's. Just like what you are doing right now is the Capitol's fault." I say. I try to keep my voice steady.

"It is your fault! You work for the Capitol! Why should I trust you?" He isn't screaming anymore. Instead his voice is dangerously low.

I take a risk and walk right up to him. I grab his hand, "Peeta look at me. Do you see the ring on my finger? We are engaged. I love you and you can't let the Capitol take you away from me."

"Don't touch me!" he says. He rips his hand from my grasp and slaps me across the face, knocking me to the ground.

Johanna bursts into the kitchen and her face goes pale when she sees me on the ground. She starts to walk towards me but I yell, "Stay! This is my job to fix."

She doesn't say anything but stays in the doorway. Peeta is still advancing slowly towards me, "Peeta you need to focus." I say desperately, "Force them out of your head. You know what's real, you just have to find it."

He stops walking. I see his face contorting in concentration. Suddenly his pupils go back to normal and he sinks to the ground with his hand on his head. I crawl over to him and put my arms around him. He hugs me back tightly but his face turns sad when I pull away.

"Did I do that to you?" he asks gesturing to the red hand print on my cheek. I hesitate but nod. I can't lie to him. He sighs, "Katniss I'm so sorry."

"Relax," I say, "You snapped out of it before you did anything bad."

He shakes his head, "No Katniss. You snapped me out of it." He smiles and kisses me on the forehead. I look up to see Johanna walking towards us slowly.

"Thanks for getting me up Johanna," I say softly. She nods.

"When are you leaving?" Peeta asks her.

"I was thinking about catching the train today." she says.

"You can stay longer if you want. You don't have to leave so soon." I say.

She shakes her head, "I think you two need some time together without me hovering around. I'll be back up for the wedding though."

I smile, thinking about the wedding, "Do you want me to take you to the station?" I ask.

She shrugs, "You probably should because I don't know where it is."

I laugh, "Okay. Peeta, are you coming?"

He shakes his head, "I should stay and clean all this up." I look around and see glass fragments everywhere from the dishes he was throwing around.

"Okay," I say. I kiss him on the cheek and stand up.

Johanna gets her stuff, gives Peeta a hug and walks to the door, "You coming Brainless?" she asks.

I chuckle and head out the door with her.

We walk in silence for a few minutes before Johanna says, "You two were meant to be together."

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"If you could bring him out of that then you two must have some sort of connection." she continues, "You balance each other out. He's good for you."

I nod, "Yeah, I see that now." I say, "I just couldn't before."

We reach the station and just before Johanna gets on, she surprises me by giving me a hug.

"Congratulations Katniss." she says. I know she means it because she used my actual name.

"Thank you. I'll call you when we pick a date for the wedding." I say.

She nods and gets on the train without another word. I watch as the train pulls out. Even though Johanna and I have our differences, she really is my best friend. I start to head back home but before I get to the Victor's Village I feel a hand on my shoulder. Fear shoots through my chest like ice as I hope against hope it isn't who I think it is. I turn around and my hopes come crumbling to the ground when I see who is standing behind me.

"Katniss can I please talk to you?" He asks.

"Gale just leave me alone okay?" I say quietly.

"Katniss, I promise I've changed. I would never hurt you-"

I cut him off, "You already have hurt me Gale! You killed my sister and then you tried to rape me! Nothing you say will ever fix any of that." I start to turn away but he grabs my hand, turns me back around and kisses me. I rip away from him and do the first thing I can think of. I slap him across the face.

"Don't ever touch me again Gale! " I yell, "And for your information, I've changed too." I flash my engagement ring at him and his expression turns from hurt to shock.

"You're getting married? To him?" he says.

I nod, "And if you ever come near me again, I won't stop Peeta from killing you." I don;t wait for an answer before I turn and run back through the Victors Village. I get to my house, run in, and slam the door. Tears are streaming down my face. I run right past Peeta who is standing in the kitchen, and upstairs to my room where I sink onto the bed sobbing. I hear Peeta pounding on the door but I ignore him. Why does he keep doing this to me? I thought that after Peeta beat the crap out of him two months ago, he wouldn't want to come near me but I was wrong. Clearly he is a lot more persistent than I thought.

I hear the door open slowly. Crap, I forgot there was a spare key in the house. "Go away." I say, my voice hoarse from crying.

"Please tell me what happened." he says quietly.

I hesitate. I don't want to tell him but I can't keep that from him, "Gale kissed me." I say quietly.

"What!" he yells, jumping up, "I told you not to go near him anymore Katniss! I knew he would do something to hurt you!"

Now anger is starting to fill me. It wasn't my choice that Gale kissed me, "I didn't go to him! He found me!"

"You need to stay away from him Katniss! What if he does something and I'm not there?" Peeta yells.

"You make it sound like I like what he does to me!" I scream, now directing my anger towards him.

"You know I don't feel that way Katniss. I'm just looking out for you. I didn't do anything wrong so stop taking your anger out on me!" he says.

"I'm not!" I yell.

"Yes you are! You always do this Katniss. When you're mad you take it out on me and I'm sick of it!" he shouts.

My face falls. His words are like a bullet to my heart. If that's how he feels about me then why am I even bothering with him?

"You know what?" I say quietly, "Get out of my house. Right now."

He looks at me sadly for a minute then slowly turns and leaves. Once I hear the door shut, I break down. I sink to my bed sobbing. Do I really do what he says? Do I take my anger out on the people I love? I never noticed it before but maybe he's right. Still, he didn't have a right to accuse me of going to find Gale. He made me so mad I wasn't even thinking about what I was saying. I don't like what Gale does to me and it's not my choice, but he seems to think it is.

I look at the engagement ring on my finger. If that really is how he feels about me then I have no right to marry him. I slide the engagement ring off my finger and throw it across the room, not caring where it lands.

I'm done.

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**Wow! There was a lot of drama in that chapter! Anyway, leave me a review and let me know if you think I'm going too overboard with the drama, or if you like it. I love hearing your feedback and I would really appreciate a review. I feel like a lot of people don't review because they think someone else will, but they don't consider that maybe no one will. So please, please leave me one. I will try to update within the next couple days so until then, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey guys! I got a great response to last chapter. I got 4 reviews which is the most I've gotten for one chapter. Let's try to make 5 this time okay? I see that you guys like the drama which is good because there is plenty more coming up :) I can't wait to see what you guys think of this chapter even though it is going to be a little short. I realized I forgot to do review responses for the last chapter so I'm sorry about that but I will do them this chapter. Hope you guys like this chapter and don't forget to review!**

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I don't sleep at all. I'm too busy thinking about him. I guess our engagement is off now but I don't know. I don't even know what my feelings are about him anymore. I thought I loved him but that was when he loved me. Now I wonder if any of that was even real. I shake my head to clear it. Of course it was real before but clearly I've done some things to push him away. I don't even think he loves me anymore. The screaming match we got into last night was the biggest fight we've ever had. I quickly remember the ring and jump off my bed to find it. I see it glinting on the floor by the door. I pick it up and set it down on my bedside table. Seeing it brings tears to my eyes. I was so happy when he put that on my finger. That was when I realized that I loved him. I still love him.

I understand that he was mad at me but I wasn't the only one who accused him of things. He said hurtful things too. I groan out loud. I can't wrap my head around all this. I don't even understand what's going on between us anyway. I need to talk to someone about it. Johanna? No. She'll just tell me how stupid we are being. I need someone who will understand me. Then I think of it. No one understands me better than Haymitch. I jump off my bed, grab some hoes and run downstairs and out the door.

It's only about four on the morning but when I pass Peeta's house I see that the lights in his room are on. Maybe he can't sleep either. I wonder if he's thinking about me as much as I'm thinking about him. Or if he is still mad at me.

I pound on Haymitch's door until he opens it up, "Do you realize what time it is?" he asks.

"Please Haymitch. I know you weren't asleep. I need to talk to you." I say.

He sees the serious look on my face and opens the door wider, inviting me inside, "What about?" he asks, almost as if he is afraid of what I'm going to say.

In answer, I hold up my hand.

"Where's the ring?" he asks. Tears fill my eyes. Haymitch sighs, "Did he have another attack?"

I shake my head, "No that's not why."

Haymitch sits down on the couch and I sit across from him, "Tell me what happened then." he says simply.

"I was taking Johanna to the train station to go back to District 7 and on my way home I saw Gale." I start. Haymitch's face darkens. "He kissed me so I slapped him in the face and when I got home I was crying and I wouldn't talk to Peeta. Eventually he got into my room and I told him Gale kissed me and he got mad." I pause, trying to find a way to say this to make him understand, "But it seemed like he was madder at me than Gale. He told me I need to stop going near Gale." I'm crying now. "He was making it sound like I like what Gale does to me and he knows I hate it! Then he told me that I take my anger out on him every time I get mad and I don't try to." I'm sobbing now.

Haymitch pauses for a second before saying, "So is the engagement off?"

I shrug, "I don't even know anymore."

"Sweetheart, it seems to me like both your emotions were running high and maybe you need to talk to each other and work it out. If I'm guessing right, he wasn't the only one who said hurtful things."

I pause for a minute, thinking about what he said, "Thanks Haymitch. Maybe you're right."

I leave Haymitch's house feeling a little better. I don't want to apologize to him though. I was never good at expressing to people how I feel. And I don't want to admit that I was wrong. It;s one of my worst flaws. I'm too stubborn. By this time, it's early morning. I head into town to pick some things up and try to clear my head. I'm lost int thought when I slam into someone, falling to the ground. I look up angrily to see who it is and my heart drops. Peeta is standing over me. He looks terrible. There are bags under his eyes indicating that he hasn't slept and he cheeks are red from crying.

"Katniss," he starts, "I was just coming to find you."

"Why? I thought you were mad at me?" I say. Then I wince. That came out a lot colder than I was intending.

"I'm sorry Katniss. I regret saying all those things. I know you don't like what he does to you. My emotions were just running high and-" he stops and his eyes trail down to my hand, "Where is your ring?" he asks quietly.

I hesitate, "Peeta I-"

"I know you were mad but did you really take the ring off?" he says. His voice is so sad it breaks my heart.

"Peeta I'm sorry. I thought-"

He cuts me off, "No, you know what Katniss. If that's the kind of person you think I am then maybe it was a good thing to take it off."

"Peeta please." I whisper. My voice barely audible.

He just shakes his head and walks past me. I turn, tears streaming down my face as I watch the love of my life walking away from me.

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**Sorry that was a little short but I felt like the chapter didn't need anything else. Here are review responses:**

**Guest: Thanks so much for reviewing. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

**ionilove: Yeah it was pretty dramatic but you're right. It is good to have a change of pace. It makes everything more you can see Katniss and Peeta still haven't made up :( Can't wait to see what you think of this chapter and thanks for reviewing! **

**ThaliaFairbain: I'm sorry! They still aren't back together. Thanks you for reviewing and I hope you liked this update!**

**auntlori530: Glad you like all the drama. I agree. I think every story needs some of it so that it doesn't get boring. Hope you liked this update and thanks so much for reviewing!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Yay we made it to chapter 10! And thanks to the people who reviewed last chapter because we did make it to 5 reviews. Can we shoot for 6 this time? Hope everyone had a great Fourth of July and I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

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I want to go after him. I want to explain why I took the ring off but I can't bring myself to move my feet. If he thinks that we shouldn't be engaged anymore than who am I to argue. I turn slowly and walk back to my house. It feels empty without Peeta in it. I'm used to hearing him in the kitchen, baking, but I guess that's over now. I feel like a huge part of me has been ripped away, leaving me bare, and vulnerable. Without thinking, I pick up the phone and dial Johanna's number.

"Hello?" she answers.

"Hey, it's me," I say. Even my voice sounds empty.

"What do you need brainless?" she asks jokingly.

"The engagement is off," I blurt.

"What!" she yells in my ear.

"Peeta and I got in a huge fight and he left so I thought he didn't want to talk to me anymore so I took the ring off. Then I ran into him in town and he got upset when he saw I wasn't wearing the ring. Now I know he doesn't want to marry me!" I say very quickly.

Johanna laughs, "Katniss, he still wants to marry you."

"No he doesn't" I argue, "He said that if that's what I think of him then it's a good thing I took the ring off."

I hear Johanna sigh, "Look Katniss, he only said that because he thinks that's what you want. He thinks he let you down. He's too nice, always blaming himself. The question is do you want the engagement to be off?"

"No, of course I don't," I say.

"Then you need to fix it Katniss! You can't be so stubborn all the time. You have to let yourself be vulnerable once in a while." she says.

I pause for a moment, "I guess you're right," I admit reluctantly.

"Of course I am," she says, "Now just go talk to him. What's the worst that could happen?"

"He could say he doesn't want to marry me." I say.

"He won't though," Johanna protests, "Look, you two are meant to be together if you could make it through everything that's happened. Don't give up on him now Katniss."

"Thanks Johanna. When did you start solving all my problems?" I ask.

"When everyone else died," she says. I can hear a little sadness in her voice.

"Well I appreciate it," I say honestly.

"You better. This is like the third time I've had to fix something for you." she says sarcastically.

I laugh, "Bye Johanna." I hang up the phone, grab my jacket and head out the door. I go to Peeta's house first but he doesn't answer the door. At first I think he's just ignoring me but there re no lights on so I assume he's at the bakery.

As I walk, butterflies start to fill my stomach. I don't even know what to say to him. I can't exactly blame him for me taking off the ring. Then I stop in my tracks. The ring! If I go there without it, it will only reinforce his thoughts that I don't want to get married. I race back home, up the stairs, and put on the ring again. I head back through town. It's surprisingly quiet. Not as many people are out as usual.

I walk into the bakery, setting off the bell. Peeta comes out from behind the counter but glares when he sees me, "What do you need?" he asks.

"I'm not here to buy anything Peeta," I say.

"Then what are you doing here?" he asks coldly. I hold up my hand in answer, showing him the ring. Peeta just shakes his head and starts to turn away.

"Wait Peeta!" I yell. He turns back around slowly. "I wanted to apologize. The only reason I took off the ring was because I thought you didn't want to marry me anymore after our fight. I was just mad and I was stupid and I'm sorry." My eyes fill with tears but I brush them away quickly.

Peeta sighs, "Katniss even though we did fight, my feelings for you didn't change. I just didn't expect you to take the ring off." he pauses for a minute,  
"Maybe taking the ring off might even be best if that's how we really feel about each other."

"Peeta I need you. Please." I say. I've never been this vulnerable to him, or anyone, before.

"Katniss, I don't know if you're ready to get married if that's what you're going to do every time we fight. I shouldn't have asked you so early. We're only 19. Maybe the fight was for the best." Peeta says, but his blue eyes are sad.

I shake my head, "Peeta I am ready. We don't have to get married right now if that's how you feel but-" I pause for a minute, "But I love you and I can't stand being away from you. Please Peeta."

"Do you really love me Katniss?" Peeta asks. I nod. Peeta sighs, "Maybe we should just take a break. I think we both need time to collect everything. Maybe later, after we both calm down a bit, we can try again."

Tears are running down my cheeks but I nod, "Promise we can try again?" I say. There's no point arguing anymore. He won't change his mind.

Peeta smiles, "I promise Katniss. I'm not promising when but I promise."

I nod and walk to the door, "Bye Peeta," I say.

"Bye Katniss," I hear Peeta say just before I close the door.

I walk slowly back home. I'm not even crying anymore. I need to accept the fact that he really doesn't want me anymore. At least for now. I know that what I said was true. I do love him, and I want him to be happy. If this is what makes him happy then so be it.

I walk through the door and collapse on the couch. I turn the TV on half heatedly. The reporter is saying something about President Paylor but I can't hear it. People in the background of the broadcast are crying so I turn the TV up to see what they are talking about.

The reporter says, "We just received word this morning that last night, President Paylor was assassinated by some old supporters of our previous president, President Snow."

I sit up quickly in my seat. Paylor was killed? That's why no one was out in town today. They've been keeping up with this.

The reporter continues, "These supporters have now taken over the President's home and are campaigning to bring back the Hunger Games. They are armed and shooting anyone who manages to enter the house. District 13 has threatened to send in reinforcements if they don't stop their protesting. We will bring you more news later this evening."

Bring back the Hunger Games? That's not possible is it? I start shaking. There's no way that could happen again. Then I think of how we rebelled to stop the Hunger Games. If enough supporters of the old Panem are assembling, we could have another rebellion on our hands. The thought terrifies me. There can't be enough people to put up a fight against the districts. But then again they thought the same thing about District 13.

If we could do it, why not them?

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**I thought a lot about writing that last part. I'm not sure if it will go anywhere, it was just an idea. But if you like it and want me to continue with it just let me know. I was also really sad about writing this chapter because of what's going on with Peeta and Katniss. Again, let me know what you think of it. I appreciate any reviews I can get :) **

**Here are the review responses:**

**Safeandsound14: Here is an update so please don't die! Haha, hope you enjoyed this chapter and thanks for reviewing!**

**Mama'sBrokenHeart99: Yeah there's definitely a lot of drama between them. And sorry but they haven't gotten back together yet :(. Thanks for reviewing and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

**candyluver88: Here is an update! Now you can smile again :) Hope you liked this chapter!**

**ThaliaFairbain: I agree, I think the drama is helping the storyline and making it more realistic. Here is another chapter. Thanks for reviewing!**

**j (Guest): Thank you!I'm glad you're enjoying the story. They haven't worked it out yet so sorry about that. But I hope you liked this chapter anyway!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey guys! I'm skipping forward a little bit in the chapter. This chapter takes place about a month after the last chapter. This chapter will have some drama in it but also some moments between Peeta and Katniss. Can't wait to see what you guys think! Review responses at the end of the chapter like always :)**

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It's been a month since Peeta told me he wanted to take a break. I haven't taken off the ring though. I'm never doing that again. It was the thing that almost broke us up last time and I won't let it do the same again. I also have the promise ring Peeta got me when we got back together after his last attack. Peeta has one too and he never takes it off. I don't really have much to do without Peeta around all the time. I've refused to let myself slip back into that depressed state I was in when Peeta left last time though. I usually spend my days in the woods. Especially when I feel like I'm on the verge of slipping. The woods calms me down, and brings me sanity. I've talked to Johanna a lot in the past month and even gone to visit her in District 7. She keeps me strong, usually by calling me names and insulting me, but that's how my relationship with her works.

I've just finished hunting and am taking my game into town to trade. I don't need to anymore but I still do it so that I can see the people there like Greasy Sae and Thom, old friends of mine. I finish my trading and am turning to go back home when I see Gale. I've seen him a couple times in the past month but he doesn't dare do anything to me now. Now he is just permanently mad at me, which is okay with me. He doesn't talk to me unless he wants to shoot an insult at me. I ignore him though. The last thing I want is to make him mad again. Who knows what he'll do to me this time.

I walk past him without saying anything, ignoring the icy glare he shoots me and head back into the Victor's Village. When I open the door, I see Johanna sitting on my couch watching TV, looking perfectly at home.

"Johanna?" I ask.

"Oh hey Brainless." she says, not taking her eyes off the TV.

"Did you tell me you were coming and I forgot or did you just show up?" I ask sarcastically.

She signals for me to be quiet, "I just showed up now shut up."

I walk over to her and see more news broadcasting on the television, "More stuff on this?" I ask.

The old Capitol supporters have tried to rebel several times in the last month but since President Paylor's assassination, they've been ready. They've put down every rebellion so far and they are getting fewer and fewer. I'm hoping that eventually they'll give up and stop trying. I'm tired of people dying over things like this. Since we don't have a president anymore Plutarch has brought up the same idea he first brought up in District 13 before Coin took over. He wants Panem to run itself like some countries did thousands of years ago. A system where the people elect a leader and make decisions on all the laws together. I'm still doubtful that will work but he has pretty high hopes of it.

The news ends and Johanna flicks off the television, "So what are you doing here?" I ask her.

She shrugs, "District 7 is boring. I hate being by myself all the time. There's nothing to do."

"And District 12 is so much more interesting?" I ask sarcastically. She shrugs. "If you want something to do than do something like hunting. That works for me."

Johanna scoffs, "No thanks. No offense but walking around in the woods all day shooting things isn't my idea of fun."

"Whatever." I say. I look at the clock and see that it's already nine. I really was walking around in the woods all day, "I'm going to go to bed," I say to Johanna, "I'll take you into town tomorrow if you want. That's really the only thing to do here."

She nods, "Okay."

I head upstairs and finally fall asleep after tossing and turning until almost midnight. My sleep is plagued with nightmares about the rebellion and going back into war. I wake up to Johanna roughly shaking my shoulder.

"It's ten in the morning. I actually want to do something today other than watch you sleep." she says.

"It's weird to watch people sleep Johanna," I fire back.

"God even when you wake up you always have something to say back don't you?" she asks sarcastically.

"I guess so," I say. I get up and kick her out of my room so I can get dressed. When I walk downstairs I see her waiting by the door impatiently, tapping her foot.

"Let's go," she say impatiently.

"I haven't even had breakfast yet," I say.

"You can pick some up in town. Come on," she says, grabbing my arm and dragging me out the door.

We walk around town, visiting the market where I introduce Johanna to the people I know. I am about to take Johanna to get something to eat when I hear Gale call my name behind me. I ignore him but Johanna turns around and sees him.

"Where's your fiancé?" he asks mockingly.

"Just keep walking," I hiss at Johanna, "He stops eventually."

"I haven't seen you two together lately." he continues. I clench my hands into fists. One of the bad things about being best friends with him is that he knows exactly what buttons to push to make me mad. Johanna is starting to get mad too.

"Are you two even together still?" he yells.

Johanna snaps, turns around, and walks up to him until she's right in his face, "You listen to me," she starts

"Johanna stop," I say, coming up next to her, "He's not worth it." I grab her arm and walk away.

Gale chuckles, "You just don't want to admit I'm right. I see you're still wearing those rings. That's funny. Last time I went to the bakery, Peeta wasn't wearing his."

I stop in my tracks. He's gone too far this time. That hurts. I turn to Johanna, "You can do whatever you want."

She smiles at me, turns around, and walks up to him again, "I kicked your ass last time I saw you. Do you really want me to do it again?"

Recognition flickers across his face as he looks at Johanna. All he can do is shake his head.

"You say one more thing about Peeta or Katniss and I promise I will come find you." she threatens, "And you're not going to like what I do to you. Got it?"

He nods, turns around and walks away without another word. Johanna comes back over to me looking pretty pleased with herself.

"Johanna, do you think what he said was true? Did Peeta take the ring off?"

Johanna sighs, "Well you two technically are on a break so you can't blame him if he did Katniss. But there's only one way to find out." She gestures towards the bakery on the other side of the street.

I groan, "Fine but you're coming with me."

I walk over to the bakery with Johanna. I hesitate at the door though so Johanna opens it and pushes me in, following right behind me. I walk up to counter and wait for Peeta to come out from the back.

"Katniss?" he asks when he sees me, but he quickly regains his composure, "What do you need?" he asks.

"I'm not here to buy anything," I say, "I need to ask you something."

"Okay?" Peeta questions.

"Let me see your hand," I blurt out. When Peeta gives me a questioning look, "I need to check something. Just let me see it." He put his hand on the counter and I breathe a sigh of relief when I see the ring on his finger. Of course Gale was lying. How would he even know? He hardly comes in the bakery because he's so scared of Peeta.

"Katniss?" Peeta asks softly, "What were you looking for."

I hesitate and look at Johanna. She nods, "I was trying to see if you were still wearing your ring."

He nods, "I've never taken it off. Why would you think I wouldn't have it on?"

"Well, because we were taking a break." I say quietly.

He reaches over the counter and takes my left hand, "You're still wearing the engagement ring." I nod. "I thought you would've taken it off like last time."

I shake my head, "Taking this off caused way too many problems. I don't want to take it off anyway." He smiles at me softly. "I'm just going to go." I say.

"Katniss," Peeta says, "Are you sure you don't need anything before you go?" he asks.

I shake my head, "Thank you Peeta," I say before walking out.

"What was that?" Johanna asks.

"What?" I say.

"That was your chance!" she says.

"To do what?" I ask, still confused.

"To tell him you want to get back together!" she continues impatiently.

"How do you know I want to get back together yet?" I ask.

She scoffs, "Oh please Katniss. I know that's why you haven't taken the rings off."

"Look, when Peeta wants to get back together he can tell me." I say.

Johanna sighs, "What if he's thinking the same thing about you?"

I shrug and keep walking back towards the house. Maybe Johanna is right. Maybe I should just tell him how I feel and tell him I want to get back together. The fear of rejection runs through me. He was the one ho broke it off though. It was his choice then so it should be his choice now. A part of me feels like I'm being too stubborn but I've made up my mind. I'm not telling him until I know he feels the same about me.

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**Yay another chapter finished! Can't wait to see what you guys thought of this especially the moment between Peeta and Katniss :)**

**Here are review responses:**

**Mama'sBrokenHeart: Don't worry, the rebellion is going to be more of a background event. Nothing terrible will happen :) Thanks for reviewing and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

**Safeandsound14: Thanks for reviewing :) Glad you are enjoying the story.**

**ThaliaFairbain: I'm sorry they still aren't back together but at least you had an interaction between them this chapter. I'm glad you liked the twist I put in it. Thanks for reviewing and I hope you like this chapter!**

**j (Guest): Yay! A long review! I agree, I want to make this story realistic so I couldn't have them make up too quickly. As you can see from this chapter, the rebellion isn't going to go very far but I did want to add it in to give a sort of twist. I agree Katniss and Peeta should be the main focus. And to answer your question I think I will do a story like that. I might just add it on to the end of this one though. Unless the time jump is too big then I will make it a new story :) Thank you so much for reviewing and I hope you liked the update!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey guys! Sorry it's been a while :( I'm in the process of trying to finish my summer work for high school so I haven't been on my laptop lately. I'm going to try to update as much as I can before school starts because then I won't have a lot of time to write. So here is the next chapter and I think you guys are going to like this one *hint, hint* ;) And I also think you all are going to be very surprised at one part. Don't forget to review!**

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It's been two weeks and Johanna refuses to leave my house. I've tried asking her why but she ether ignores me or gets angry and yells at me so I gave up. I haven't seen Peeta again either. I'm sticking to what I decided weeks ago. He was the one ho said we needed to take a break so he can be the one to decide when the break is over. Johanna says I'm being too stubborn but I don't care. I walk downstairs this morning to see Haymitch sitting on the couch with Johanna next to him. This can't be good.

"Katniss we need to talk to you," Haymitch says, gesturing to the seat in front of them.

I sit down hesitantly but I don't say anything. I already know they want to talk to me about Peeta. Johanna has threatened to get Haymitch involved several times but I thought I made it clear that he doesn't scare me. Besides, I never thought she would actually do it.

"I assume you know what I want to talk about?" Haymitch asks. I nod and he sighs. "First of all, why didn't you tell me you two got in a fight?"

"Because you're not my parent," I say simply. Johanna sniggers and Haymitch shoots her a look.

"So the engagement is off?" he asks carefully.

I shrug, "I don't know. I guess so."

"But you're still wearing the ring," he points out, "So do you think you might still be in love with him?"

I lose it, "Haymitch stop. I know how I feel about Peeta but I also know how he feels about me. It's not my responsibility to try to get us back together but it's not yours either so butt out of it. And stop treating me like I'm a baby." I'm standing up now and so is Haymitch.

"I'll stop treating you like a baby when you stop acting like one!" he yells, "You are too stubborn for your own good Katniss. If you know how you feel than you need to buck up and tell him. Stop hiding behind Johanna and face it."

That hurt. I don't say anything though. I just turn and storm up to my room. I hear Johanna yelling at Haymitch behind me. When I get in my room I slam the door as loud as possible. I'm not crying, I'm just extremely pissed off. Does Haymitch think I don't know how I feel? I know I still love Peeta but I didn't end the relationship. It's Peeta he should be talking to, not me. One thing he said did bother me though. Do I really hide behind Johanna to get away from my problems. I think about that for a second. The only person I relied on Johanna to handle was Gale. And Peeta helped with that problem too so I don't think I really do that. I'm lost in thought when I hear a knock on my door.

"Go away Haymitch," I say loudly.

"It's not Haymitch. I kicked him out," I hear Johanna say.

I pause then go open the door slowly. She barges into my room and sits on my bed. "What do you want?" I ask her.

"Calm down Brainless. I just wanted to say that I shouldn't have invited him over. It was a mistake. All he did was piss you off even more."

I nod, "Thanks. Do you agree with everything he said?" I ask hesitantly.

Johanna thinks for a moment, "I agree that you're too stubborn and that you need to tell Peeta how you feel but not...the other thing."

I can tell she doesn't want to talk about that and neither do I so I move on, "So what should I do?" I ask.

Johanna sighs, "Look, you're the one who said you weren't a baby. You know how you feel. I'm not going to tell you what to do anymore. You're 19, if you want to tell him than tell him, if you don't than don't. It's not up to me to make that decision for you." I don't respond. She sees that I want some time to think and leaves the room.

As much as I want to tell him, I can't. I know that if I try to tell him how I feel, I'll freeze, or get tongue-tied. I decide to go hunting to clear my head. I grab my hunting boots, my game bag, and my bow and arrows and head out the door. I walk into the woods, enjoying the peace and quiet for a minute before starting. Before long I have two squirrels in my bag. I push through a patch of foliage and freeze. Gale is there, setting one of his snares. Fear shoots through me but I push it down. I can take Gale. Especially now that I'm armed. His back is to me slightly so I think I can just slip away unnoticed until I hear him call out.

"I saw you Katniss." he says. I don't move. "Don't worry," he says, standing up, "I'm not going to try anything on you. I know better than anyone not to mess with you when you have those," he says, gesturing to my weapons. "I do want to talk to you though." he says.

I shake my head, "If it's another insult about the ring I'd rather not." I say coolly.

He shakes his head, "Sorry about that." he takes a deep breath, "I wanted to tell you that you need to go talk to Peeta. You two need to at least stay friends."

I look at him in confusion and he continues, "I've been to the bakery a couple times and he's a wreck. He never smiles and he is always looking at his ring. Every time the door opens he looks up like he's hoping it's going to be you. He needs you Katniss."

My heart breaks to hear that but then I get suspicious, "Why should I believe you Gale?" I ask.

He sighs, "Look Katniss, you know I feel terrible about what I did to you. And I still love you which means I want you to be happy. And anyone can see that you aren't. The last thing I want is for you and Lover Boy to be together but if it makes you happy then I have to tell you."

At first I don't believe him but then I see the look in his eyes. It looks like it pains him to tell me this and h just looks exhausted. I realize that I do believe him.

"Thanks Gale." I say sincerely. I don't ever want to be friends with him again but I am grateful that he told me this. He just nods and I turn and run into town. Johanna is right. I'm too stubborn. Peeta is doing the same thing I'm doing. He thinks I don't want to be with him. I run until I get in front of the bakery then freeze. I have no idea what to say. I'm panicking and I'm about to turn around and go home when I feel a hand on my arm.

"Katniss?" Peeta asks, almost like he can't believe I'm actually here.

I gulp, swallowing my nerves, "Peeta I-"

Peeta stops me, "Let me say something first." he takes a deep breath then says, "Katniss I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything I said to you. I didn't mean it. I didn't even want to take a break but I thought that's what you wanted. I was being stupid. I understand if you never want to see me again but-"

I cut him off with a kiss. He freezes for a minute then wraps his arms around my waist. I pull away and say, "I'm sorry too. I should never have taken the ring off. All of this was my fault and then I was too stubborn to come and fix it. You deserve someone better than me."

He shakes his head, "There is no one better than you. Katniss, do you want to just start over? Pretend the fight never happened and go back to dating?"

I smile and nod my head, "I'm still not taking the ring off though," I say, making him laugh, "I made that mistake once and I'm not making it again."

He laughs and kisses me on the cheek, "Good because I don't want you to."

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**Yay! So I realized as I was writing this that now, this story is officially longer than the original story, Real or Not Real. That's awesome! I can't wait to see what you guys thought of this chapter so please review!**

**Here are review responses:**

**Mama'sBrokenHeart99: You would think so :) And no that's definitely not too harsh but in this chapter you kind of see Gale's motivation behind everything he does. He's just bitter that he didn't get the girl he loved. He did some bad things but he has some good deep down inside. Don't get me wrong, I still hate him but there's a little good inside everyone. Thanks for reviewing!**

**ThaliaFairbain: Yeah, Peeta having his ring on was a kind of foreshadowing for this chapter. You've asked for it for forever and they are finally back together! They aren't engaged anymore but at least they aren't fighting right? Thanks for reviewing and I hope you liked this chapter!**

**j (Guest): You're welcome! I'll answer any questions you have. And I agree they are both stubborn but by this chapter, they seemed to have reached their limit. And don't worry about Gale. I have something planned for him in future chapters ;) Thanks for reviewing!  
**

**Candyluver88: Here is another update! Hope you liked it and thanks for reviewing!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey guys! So sorry it's been a while. I am desperately trying to finish my summer reading. This chapter will have some drama at the end. :) On another note, I really want to know what you guys want. Should I make them get married soon? Do you want more drama or do you want things to settle down. Just tell me what you want and I will try to make it happen. You can leave me a review or PM me. Anyway, hope you guys like this chapter!**

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Peeta is still on his shift at the bakery so I stay and watch him work. There aren't many costumers so he lets me try to bake something, knowing full well I will just destroy it. I pull the attempted cookies out of the oven and smoke pours out after it. I cough and shut the oven quickly. Peeta is laughing behind me.

"Shut up," I say, punching him in the arm.

"The bakery just closed." he says, "What do you want to do?"

"Let's go back to my house. Johanna will be happy I finally talked to you. She's been trying to convince me to talk to you for weeks." I say.

"Why didn't you want to talk to me?" Peeta asks.

"I thought you didn't want to see me." I answer quietly, "I wasn't going to talk to you unless you came to me first. I was being stubborn."

Peeta wraps his arms around me, "It's okay. I was doing the same thing." he says, "Did she finally convince you?"

"No," I say hesitantly, "Gale did."

Peeta's face darkens, "What?" he asks.

"I saw him in the woods," I say.

"Did he touch you?" Peeta asks angrily.

"Peeta calm down," I say, "He said he knew better than to come near me with weapons."

Peeta chuckles, "That is true. So what did he say?"

"He told me how miserable you were without me." I say playfully.

"Well he was right." Peeta says, leaning down to give me a kiss.

After a few seconds the door slams open, "I knew it!" Johanna says.

We break apart instantly, "What?" I ask her in surprise.

"I knew that if you gave him a chance, you would get back together. You just had to stop being so stubborn Brainless." Johanna says triumphantly.

"Okay, you were right. Can you leave now?" I ask.

She shakes her head, "I'm good here. So, when is the wedding?" she asks.

"We aren't engaged." I say.

"What!" she yells, "That wasn't part of the plan. Why aren't you engaged?"

"Because we just got back together." Peeta says simply.

"So?" Johanna asks. She sighs, "Brainless, come with me. I need to talk to you."

"Fine I say." I turn to Peeta, "Meet me at my house when you finish up here." I say. He nods and I head out of the bakery with Johanna. "What do you want?" I hiss at her.

"I want to know why you aren't engaged." she says.

"I already told you," I say.

"Well do you want to be engaged?" she asks.

I think about that for a second. I was so happy when Peeta proposed to me but that ended so badly. I don't want that to happen again. And I'm only 19. I'm too young too get married. But Peeta did say before that we wouldn't get married for a while. I' just confused. I know I love him and I think he loves me but I don't know if he wants to get married.

"I don't know!" I yell, more confused then ever.

"Well do you love him?" Johanna asks. I nod. "Then why wouldn't you want to get married?"

"Well for one thing, I'm too young," I start, "And I don;t think Peeta wants to get married yet. If we do get married then I want it to be mutual. I don;t want to get engaged until we are both ready for marriage. I don't even know if I am, let alone Peeta."

"I can tell you right now that Peeta wants to." she says.

"How do you know?" I ask her.

"I've seen the way he look at you and I've seen how miserable he is without you." she says.

"That doesn't prove anything. He could love me and not want to get married yet." I argue back.

Johanna laughs, "You just don't see it do you? He's waiting to see if you're ready."

"Okay Johanna. He will tell me if he wants to get married. Please don't get involved in it." I say.

She sighs, "Fine. But I don have one more question for you."

We reach my house in the Victor's Village and she opens the door and walks inside. I follow behind her and sit on the couch.

"What?" I ask, "If it's something else about Peeta I swear to god-"

"It's not about Peeta." she says. I look up at her and she actually looks a little nervous, "I was thinking about moving to District 12." she says.

"Really?" I ask.

She nods, "There's nothing for me in District 7. I don't know anyone and I don't want to get to know anyone so I never have anything to do. I spend so much time here anyway I figured, why not." she says.

"So what was your question?" I ask, confused.

"Is it a good idea?" she asks.

I shrug, "I can't make that decision for you Johanna," I say, replicating what she told me about Peeta.

"Stop mocking me Brainless," Johanna says, "I still have my axes and I won't hesitate to use them."

I laugh, "I don't care if you move here Johanna. If you like it better than District 7 then go for it."

"Okay," she says, "But I'm staying here until I feel like going to get my stuff."

"Way to ask permission." I say.

"Do I ever?" she asks sarcastically.

Suddenly I hear the doorbell ring. I go to the door and open it to see Peeta standing there, in a light blue button down and black pants, holding flowers.

"I was wondering if a beautiful woman would go on a date with me today." he says. I can't stop the grin that spreads across my face.

"Absolutely," I say, kissing him on the cheek, "Give me a few minutes to get ready." I say. He steps into the house and I close the door behind him. I take the flowers from his hand and go into the kitchen. I search through the cabinets until I find a large vase. I fill it with water and put the flowers in, then I set it on the coffee table in the living room.

I go up to my room and put on jeans and a sunset orange shirt, Peeta's favorite color, with lace around the neck and sleeves. I put on brown boots and, head back downstairs and when Peeta sees me he smiles.

"Did you wear that on purpose?" he asks me.

I nod, laughing, "Do you like it?" I ask.

He shakes his head, "I love it." he says, pulling me in for a kiss. I pull away when I hear Johanna making gagging sounds.

"Get a room you two," she says.

"It's my house," I shoot back, "Leave if you don't like it."

"Where are we going?" I ask excitedly.

"I'm not telling you," he says. I groan, making him laugh, "It's a surprise."

We walk hand in hand for a few minutes before he stops me and ties a blindfold around my eyes, "Not the blindfold again," I complain.

He laughs again and leads me a short distance before he stops me again, "You can take it off now." he says quietly.

I take off the blindfold and gasp. In the center of the meadow is a small table, with two place settings. It is dimly lit by candles, giving it n eerily beautiful quality.

"Peeta, this is gorgeous," I say quietly.

"You like it?" he asks nervously.

I nod, "I love it. Thank you."

He smiles and kisses me passionately. He leads me over to the table and we sit down and start to talk. He tells me about what he did when we unofficially called off the engagement.

"All I did was go through the motions." he says.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

He sighs, "I was alive, but I wasn't living. I was too busy thinking about everything I did wrong. Thinking about what I would do differently if I could go back and do it again."

"Peeta-" I start, already feeling guilty.

"Don't Katniss. It wasn't your fault. I started the fight and then I was too much of a cowards to come to you and tell you I needed you." he says sadly.

"Peeta you aren't a coward." I say, "You are the bravest person I know. Look at what you went through. It wasn't your fault now stop blaming yourself for it." I say.

He nods, "You're right. We should be talking about something else tonight."

We end up talking about our childhood. But not the bad things. All the good things that made us happy, or made us laugh. It was so much fun. I don't think I have ever laughed so much. Eventually though, Peeta tells me that we should go.

"I don't want to go." I complain.

"I know but it's almost midnight. I should get you home." he says.

"Fine," I grumble. We walk back to my house, hand in hand. I walk though the door and am immediately bombarded by dark curls.

"Annie? What are you doing here?" I ask. She looks up and her eyes are red and puffy and tears are streaming down her face.

"I need you help Katniss." she says.

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**Cliffhanger! I'm sorry, I couldn't help it :) Don't worry, if I get enough reviews I will update again tomorrow. So please review and tell me what you think and don't forget to tell me what you want to happen in the story. **

**Here are the review responses: **

**Mama'sBrokenHeart99: I agree, Haymitch has definitely become a father figure in Katniss's life. More like her only parental figure since her mom isn't really in her life. Don't worry about the randomness, I thought it was really funny :) Thanks for reviewing and I hope you like this chapter.**

**j (Guest): Haymitch was right about her stubbornness. It kind of carries on through this chapter too. Yes, Gale is being a little suspicious. As of right now, I don't have much planned for him but I'll think of something... Thank you so much for all your awesome compliments and I hope you liked this chapter!**

**candyluver88: I know! I couldn't keep them apart any longer. Thanks for reviewing!**

**And one more thing to everyone, if you saw the new trailer for Catching Fire, tell me what you thought. I personally thought it looked amazing. I think the movie is going to be better than the Hunger Games was. That's all for now. I will try to update again soon.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey guys! I got a big response to last chapter so I'm posting another one for you guys! Review responses are at the end of the chapter as usual. Also, this chapter is basically all drama. So after this, things are going to settle down a bit. I have a really cute Katniss/Peeta moment planned for next chapter so I'm really excited about that. Again, if I get a big response, a new chapter will be put up tomorrow. Hope you guys like this chapter and don't forget to review!**

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_"Annie? What are you doing here?" I ask. She looks up and her eyes are red and puffy and tears are streaming down her face._

_"I need you help Katniss." she says._

"What is it?" I ask. Something bad must have happened if she is here, "Where's Finn?" I ask. It seems weird that she didn't bring him.

At my words she bursts into tears again, "That's why I'm here." she sobs.

I wrap an arm around her and lead her to the couch. Peeta follows carefully, sitting down next to us, "Calm down Annie." I say, "Talk to me. Is he okay?"

"Plutarch came to the house and took him." she sobs.

"What!" I yell, sanding up, "Why?"

Annie wipes her tears and takes a deep breath before continuing, "He said that I'm not stable enough to take care of a child by myself." she says in a shaky voice, "I'm not crazy, am I Katniss?"

I shake my head, "Of course not Annie. And we're going to go talk to Plutarch and get Finn back okay?"

"But what if he's right?" she says, "Finnick never told me a lot about the rebellion because he knew I couldn't handle it without going crazy. Maybe I'm not suitable enough to take care of Finn."

Tears are starting to pool in my eyes at what she says, "Annie, Finnick never told you about the rebellion because he didn't want you to get hurt if the Capitol came looking for you. When I stayed with you and saw you with Finn, I saw how good of a mother you are. Finn absolutely loves you. I remember thinking that that's the kind of mom I would want to be if I ever have kids. Plutarch is wrong." I say, desperately.

Peeta nods, "She's right Annie. I haven't seen you with Finn much but I know he adores you. And I known you long enough to know you're perfectly capable of raising him by yourself."

"That's actually what I wanted to ask you two." Annie says, "Plutarch says he had to take him because there was no one to vouch for me. To prove to him that I can do it. You're the only ones who have seen Finn, you have to help me." she says.

I nod, "Absolutely. We'll go to the Capitol right now."

"Really?" she asks, almost in disbelief. I nod and she throws her arms around me, "Thank you Katniss." she whispers in my ear. She hugs Peeta too then says, "I'll give you two some time to get ready to go."

"We'll be ready in a few minutes." I say, "Johanna, can you get Annie something to eat?" I call.

I can hear Johanna groan then she says, "Fine." I leave just as I hear her come into the room and head upstairs, Peeta following closely behind.

"Can you believe him?" I say to Peeta as soon as we enter my room.

"I know," Peeta says.

"What an idiot! Who does he think he is? Anyone who sees Annie with Finn knows how great she is. Finn loves her! How can he take a child away from his mother. Finn already lost one parent and I'm not letting him lose Annie too!" I say loudly. I am absolutely furious. I never really liked the way Plutarch ran things but why does he think he has th e right to do that? I'm not letting it happen. I love Finn too much, I love Annie too much, to let that happen to their family.

"I know," Peeta repeats, "But you need to calm down."

"Why?" I yell.

"First of all, because you're being too loud and I think everyone in the house can hear you." he says.

"I don't care." I say, crossing my arms.

"Well I do," he says. He uncrosses my arms and takes my hands in his, "I know you want to help her but getting angry isn't going to help Plutarch see reason. It's just going to make him angry. If you want to help you need to be calm about it okay?" he says gently.

I sigh, "Why do you always have to be right?" I complain sarcastically.

He laughs, "It's on of my many talents."

I scoff but kiss him anyway. When I pull away I say, "Go home and get ready to leave. Meet me at the train station in 20 minutes." He nods and leaves hurriedly

I'm still wearing the clothes I wore on our date so I change into sweatpants and a t-shirt and slide on some boots. I grab a bag and empty half my drawers into it. Then I comb through my hair with my fingers and re-braid it. I grab my bag and head downstairs.

"You ready to go Annie?" I ask. She is sitting in the kitchen picking at some leftover stew. When she hears me come in she nods and bolts up.

"Is Peeta coming?" she asks, "I saw him leave." She looks worried.

"Yes. He just went home to get some stuff. He's meeting us at the train station." She nods and we head out the door.

The walk is silent. Annie is constantly wringing her hands and I can hear her muttering to herself. This isn't unusual for Annie but I'm still worried about her. Finn is her rock like Finnick was. Taking care of him has kept her sane. If he is taken away from her then she really could become unstable.

We meet Peeta at the train station. He has already bought our tickets. I shoot Peeta a concerned look as we board the train and he looks at Annie sympathetically. The ride to the Capitol takes all night but none of us sleep. The entire night, Annie clutches my hand like it's her lifeline to the world, as it might well be right now. When the train stops Annie jumps up instinctively and practically runs out the door.

We start walking when I realize I don't know where to go, "Do you know where Plutarch is working?" ask Annie, "Because I don't know where I'm going."

She nods, "I think so." She heads off towards one of the tall buildings in the center of the city. We enter the building and I march right up to the lady at the front desk.

"Where is Plutarch?" I demand.

"He is not accepting visitors this early in the morning." she say, without looking up from her papers.

"I need to see him. It's urgent." I say.

She finally looks up and gasps when she sees who I am, "Katniss Everdeen?" I nod. "I'm sorry but I am not authorized to send in visitors without his permission."

"So call him and get permission." I say, my voice slowly getting louder.

"Katniss." Peeta warns me.

"Why do you need to see him?" she questions.

Peeta shoots me a warning look but I ignore him, "That's none of your business!" I say, raising my voice, "Just get us an appointment with him now!"

"Katniss!" I hear. I turn around and see Plutarch there, "What a pleasant surprise! Come right this way and we can all have a little chat."

I glare at him but take Annie's hand and follow him down the hall. We take an elevator that shoots us up until we stop on an upper floor. We are led down another hall and enter a large room that I assume is his office. I lead Annie to one of the couches against the wall.

"So what brings you to the Capitol this morning?" he asks casually.

I stand up angrily, "Cut the act Plutarch. You know why I'm here. I want you to put Finn back in Annie's care."

Plutarch sighs, "Katniss, I'm sorry. Based on what we saw in District 13, Annie just isn't stable enough to raise a child. We have Finn in good care here in the Capitol until we can find somewhere to put him."

I shake my head, "Annie is perfectly capable of raising him. She's fantastic with him. You just don't want to see it."

Now Plutarch is standing too, "I've seen how she behaved in District 13 and we ruled her as highly unstable. She won't be able to raise him right." By this point Annie has started crying and Peeta has an arm around her trying to comfort her.

Now he stands too, "You have no right to make that judgement! Who are you to decide if a mother gets to keep her child?"

I sigh, Peeta's words coming back to me from earlier. I'm not going to get anywhere by yelling at him. It will only make him angrier at us. "Look Plutarch, I don't care what you saw in District 13. You haven't seen her with him. I have. I stayed with her in District 4 for two months and during that time I saw a wonderful mother. Finn loves her and he is perfectly happy. She takes great care of him and if you don't release him to her then you will never get to see what I saw."

Plutarch contemplates my words for a few minutes before replying, "If I release him into your care then you will have to agree to some conditions."

"Anything." Annie says desperately.

"One of my officials will have to observe you two together in District 4 for one day every month. If we see anything that suggests that he is not safe in your care or does not enjoy your care then we will have the right to take him again. That time there will be no discussion on the matter." he says seriously.

Annie nods, "Agreed. Just give him back to me."

Plutarch gets on his phone and makes a call. He's talking quietly so I can't hear what he says. I sit down with Peeta and Annie. Annie still looks worried and I can tell she is going to be like that until Finn is back with her.

A few minutes later, the door opens and little Finn runs into the room. Annie immediately starts crying and opens her arms. He runs right into them, a smile on his face. He never even knew what was going on. After an extremely happy greeting, Annie turns to me.

"Thank you Katniss. For everything." She gives me a hug, "I was wondering if we could stay in District 12 for a while. Finn really missed you."

I smile and say, "Of course. You were there for me when I needed you so I plan on doing the same."

We head back to the train station cheerfully, much different from last night. Something feels different. I'm surrounded by things I love. Peeta holding my hand, Finn babbling next to me, Annie's bright, joyful laugh. I am happy again.

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**I loved that chapter! It was extra long for you guys so I hoped you liked it :) Don't forget to review! **

**Here are the review responses:**

**Mama'sBrokenHeart: Yes I used your idea! I couldn't help it, I really liked it. And I can't tell you why Johanna was so excited for them to be engaged. That's a surprise for future chapters. I'm glad you liked the chapter and thank you for reviewing!**

**candyluver88: Wasn't the trailer so good! I'm glad someone liked it as much as to answer your question, no they aren't engaged. They are just dating right now. I updated fast so I hope you like it!**

**HungerGamesAddict3: Yes they are back together! Now you know what happened with Annie so I hope you liked it!**

**j (Guest): Here is a bit more drama and then I think it will settle down a bit. I always love your amazing compliments so I hope you liked this chapter!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey guys! I'm really excited about this story because with only 15 chapters, I have 46 reviews! I really want to get to fifty after posting this chapter so please help by writing a short little review. I decided that I like this story better with some drama added so I'm going to do something in this chapter that a lot of you guys are not going to like. But don't worry, I promise that it will go uphill from here. I also need some feedback from you guys to see where you want me to go with this story. Do you want them to settle down and get married, do you want Katniss to get pregnant? I will do anything you ask for so all you need to do is review and tell me what you want. Anyway, hope you like this chapter even though you are all going to hate me by the end of it ;)**

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It's been a month since we got Finn back. My house is absolutely packed. Annie is still staying with us and so is Johanna. Although they get annoying at times, I don't want them to leave. They are helping me a lot. I don't feel as depressed anymore and I am starting to enjoy life again. Peeta and I are slowly growing back together. He hasn't had any more attacks and he is starting to feel better about being around me. He isn't afraid to hurt me anymore which makes him a lot better company. Every morning, when I wake up in his arms, I feel alive. I have never felt this happy, this content. Even before the rebellion and before the Games, I was constantly worried. Worried that I wouldn't be able to feed my family, worried that my mother would never come out of depression, or worst of all, worried that I had let Prim down. Now I don't have any worries, and it feels amazing.

This morning I wake up and the sheets next to me are cold. I get up groggily and make my way down to the kitchen. Annie is already there, giving Finn breakfast.

"Hey Annie. Where's Peeta?" I ask.

"He and Johanna went to do something." she says. There is a glint in her eye and I can tell she is not telling me something.

"What did they go to do Annie?" I ask.

She averts her eyes from my gaze, "I don't know." she says quickly, "They didn't tell me."

I laugh, "You are a horrible liar Annie. Why can't you tell me?" I ask.

"I'm sorry Katniss." she explains, "They made me promise not to tell. I'm not going to ruin it."

I groan, "Ugh, I hate surprises." I say.

She chuckles, "Oh, I bet you're going to like this one." she says slyly.

I shrug my shoulders and grab a bowl of cereal. A couple of hours later they still aren't back yet.

"I'm going to find them." I say, heading to the door.

"You can't!" Annie yells, stepping in front of the door, "You'll ruin everything. Just be patient." she says.

"Well then let's do something. I'm bored." I complain.

She laughs, "What do you want to do?"

"Let's take Finn to the meadow!" I say.

She contemplates that for a minute, trying to remember if Johanna and Peeta are going to be there, "Okay!" she says suddenly.

"Finn!" I call. He comes running into the room excitedly, "Do you want to go the meadow?" I ask him.

"What's that?" he asks.

I look at Annie in shock and she shrugs, "Only thing we have in 4 is the ocean." she says.

I turn back to Finn who is waiting expectantly for an answer, "It's a surprise. You'll have to wait and see." I say.

He literally starts jumping up and down from excitement, "When do we get to go?"

"Right now." Annie says, "Why don't you go get your shoes on." she ruffles his hair as he runs past excitedly.

He is back in the room in about five minutes eagerly waiting for us, "Can we go now?" he asks.

I nod and open the door, "Come on." I say, taking him by the hand and leading him towards the meadow. Annie walks beside me listening to Finn talk.

When we near the meadow I tell Finn to close his eyes. He obeys and I lead him into the middle of the open field, "Okay. Open!" I say taking my hands off his eyes.

He does so and gasps, "Is this the meadow?" he exclaims in delight.

Annie laughs, "Yes. Do you think we could play here for a little while?" she asks. He nods eagerly and takes off to run around the field.

We play with him for hours, chasing each other, playing tag, even making up new games to amuse him. Eventually Annie and I are exhausted but it seems like Finn is still full of energy. Clearly he never gets tired. Annie and I go to a soft patch of grass and collapse onto the ground. I take a minute to look around the meadow. It really is a beautiful day. It is bright and clear with fluffy white clouds in the sky. The flowers are blooming all over the meadow decorating it with sprays of purple, white, and blue. No wonder it is so much fun to a four-year old.

"So Katniss," Annie starts, a grin on her face, "Do you feel like you and Peeta are getting closer again?"

I nod, "Yeah. He feels like I'm safer with him now instead of being afraid he was going to attack me."

She looks at me in confusion, "Were you were afraid?"

I shrug, "Not really. I usually just got frustrated at him because he wouldn't let me come near him."

She laughs, "But he does now."

I nod, "Yeah, he does." I say with a soft smile.

Annie pauses for a moment before asking, "Do you love him Katniss?"

I think about that for a moment. We haven't been engaged for months now, we haven't even kissed in weeks, he was the one who broke off the engagement but... "Yes." I say confidently.

She smiles at me, "Good, because I can tell he loves you too."

"I don't even know anymore Annie." I say sadly, "But I never gave up on him. That's why I still wear this." I say, flashing her my engagement ring.

"That is so cute that you still wear that."she gushes, "And you've worn it ever since he proposed?"

I shake my head, "I took it off once after we had a big fight. The next day I forgot to put it on again and Peeta saw. That's when he broke off the engagement. I put it back on that day and haven't taken it off since."

"Wow." Annie says, "You know, I miss that sometimes." she says sadly.

"Miss what?" I question.

"Having someone there with you that you love. Being able to touch them, talk to them, see them." she says, tears pooling in her eyes, "I miss him Katniss. I was so nervous when he left but he told me he was coming back. He promised."

I wrap my arms around her, "I miss him too Annie. What happened to him should not have happened. If everything had gone as planned it wouldn't have. But in the war, things didn't go as planned. You have no idea how often I wish I could talk to him. When we were in 13 he became my best friend." I am crying now, as well as Annie.

"Finn reminds me so much of him." she says with a watery smile.

I squeeze her hand, "I know. He's going to be just like him when he's older."

She nods, "I hope so."

Suddenly Johanna comes running into the field, "Katniss!" she is screaming and there are tears in her eyes.

I leap to my feet and Annie runs to retrieve Finn, "What happened!" I yell.

"It's Peeta!" she yells, "We were planning to do something for you and he went back to the house to get something. He had been missing for a while so I went to find him and he was passed out on the ground with a cut on his head. I took him to the hospital but he's still knocked out." she says really fast.

I run after her towards the hospital without another word. This can't be happening. Just when I thought things were getting better. What if he's dead? He's not dead, I tell myself. He can't be.

We make it to the hospital gasping for breath, "I need to see Peeta Mellark." I say.

"He just woke up." she says calmly, "You can go in if you want but one at a time. He is still very weak."

Johanna looks at me and signals for me to go first. I open the door slowly and see Peeta, sitting up with his head wrapped in bandages. I run over to him and wrap my arms around him gently but he pushes me away.

"Sorry but, who are you?" he asks me.

"What?" I ask him, trying to figure out if he's being serious. The looks on his face doesn't falter, "You don't know who I am?" I ask.

He shakes his head hesitantly, "Sorry but, no."

"Peeta if this is a joke, it's not funny anymore." I say, starting to get hysterical.

"I'm really sorry." he says. Tears start to stream down my face. He doesn't remember me.

I push the door open and run out the door, Johanna follows closely behind, "Where are you going?" she yells.

"He doesn't remember!" I scream at her.

"What?" she asks in confusion.

"He doesn't remember me." I say quietly.

"You're joking right?" she asks. I shake my head, "Wait here." she says, disappearing back into the hospital.

About 10 minutes later she reappears next to me, "The doctors say he has memory loss from an extreme blow to the head." she says sadly.

"What did he hit it on?" I ask.

"That's the worst part." she growls, "He didn't hit it on anything. The doctors say it was too powerful for him to have just fallen or something like that."

I grit my teeth, "Does that mean what I think it means?" I ask.

She nods, "Someone had to have attacked him."

* * *

**I'm sorry! I had to! Get mad at me all you want in your reviews but it's not going to be like this forever. This is basically rock bottom and after this things start to go up, I promise. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and please check out my other story Expect the Unexpected. It's about Cato and a girl from District 6 named Avery. I'm trying to get more reviews on that one too so check it out!**

**Here are review responses:**

**Mama'sBrokenHeart: Just as things were starting to get normal this happened ;) And I agree, Plutarch was definitely being a jerk. Thanks for reviewing!**

**candyluver88: I wouldn't have let Plutarch keep Finn :) Hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

**Thg-delirium: Thanks! Your review made me laugh so thanks for that as well :) Hope you liked this chapter!**

**ionilove: Your reviews always make me smile :)Glad you liked last chapter and I hope you liked this one too. Oh and you were the first one to review my other story after I updated it today so thanks for that too!**

**j (Guest): Things aren't settled quite yet. Don't worry, this is the last bit of drama for now. I'm so glad you like this story and that you think I do a good job writing it. Honestly, I just love writing and to hear that kind of feedback from you guys is amazing. Thanks for reviewing and I hope you liked the update!**


	16. Chapter 16

**You guys are awesome! Seriously, after posting last chapter, I got TEN reviews! That was the most I have ever gotten for one chapter, both for this story and for Real or Not Real. Do you guys think you can top that this time? No matter how short it is, I read and appreciate every one and I will respond to every one. Last chapter was pretty sad and I left you on a cliff hanger so this chapter will kind of sort everything up. After this, I'm going to settle things down for a little bit with the occasional bit of drama here and there. I hope you guys like it and please, please, please review!**

* * *

I'm sitting on the couch staring blankly at the television when Annie and Johanna walk in. I stand up but one look at their faces is all it takes.

"No luck." Johanna says.

I look at Annie hopefully and she shakes her head. Tears are gathering in her eyes and I can tell she is trying not to let them spill for my sake. I sit back down, slowly becoming depressed again. I don't know how long it's been since Peeta lost his memory. It could be weeks, or months, I just don't care anymore. Every day Johanna and Annie go to the hospital to try to jog Peeta's memory. I went for the first week or so but I just couldn't handle being around him. It's like we are playing Real or Not Real again. All it does is bring back memories of war and death, bad memories. The breaking point for me was when Johanna finally told me what her and Peeta were planning on the day it happened.

Peeta was going to propose again.

And now everything is ruined. Everything we've been through is gone. All the bad things, the hardships, the deaths, the injuries, but also all the good things, the laughs, the kisses, the embraces, all gone. He doesn't know who he is, who anyone else is, he doesn't even remember being in the Games. He is still aware of basic things like where we are and how the Games work and stuff but his relationships with the people around him and his experiences are gone.

When I found out what Peeta was going to do, I stopped going to the hospital. I can't handle being so close to him with him not remembering who I am. I want to go, I really do, but I can't. Johanna has called me a coward several times in her twisted efforts to get me to go back, but I can't bring myself to care. At the same time, I feel horribly guilty about what I'm doing. I promised Peeta I wouldn't slip back into this depressed state again, but I did. Nothing Johanna and Annie say or do can bring me out of it. For a couple months, I thought everything was going back to normal. I thought I could be happy again, but look where that got me. This is why I never wanted to fall in love, why I never wanted to get married.

Suddenly, a horrible thought pops into my head and I stand up hurriedly. Thinking about getting married made me think of my parents. I am turning into what my mother was when my father died. I am becoming the very thing I hated so much about my mother. She pushed everything away from her and now she isn't even involved in my life anymore. I don't want to be that. I promised Peeta this wouldn't happen. I promised him I would be there for him if something happened, and I'm not. That stops now.

I head into the kitchen and grab an apple, the first thing I've eaten in days. Annie looks at me in shock.

"What made you get off the couch?" Johanna asks sarcastically.

I roll my eyes, "Shut up Johanna."

"And we're talking again too?" she adds, "What causes that change?"

I shrug, "I just realized I needed to get off my ass and start helping."

Johanna walks up until she is right in front of me, then slaps me across the face. Then she throws an arm around my shoulder, "Good to have you back Brainless."

"Thanks." I say.

Annie throws herself into my arms, "You had us really worried Katniss." she says.

I hug her back, "I know. I'm sorry."

I pull away and head to the door, "I'm going to the hospital."

Johanna and Annie are right behind me immediately, "We're coming with." Johanna says.

We head to the hospital in silence and when we get there, the woman at the front desk directs us down the hallway. I swear, even she was giving us a sad look. We head down the hall and I get more and more nervous every step. When we reach the door to his room, I stop Annie by grabbing her arm, "What is he like Annie?"

"He's still the same Peeta, it's just that..." she trails off nervously.

"Right, he doesn't remember us." I fill in for her. She nods sadly.

I take a deep breath and walk in. Peeta is just sitting there, still in the hospital gown, hair in messy curls, he looks the same as always. He hears us walk in and looks up, his crystal blue eyes piercing mine.

"You're back." he says calmly, "Why did you leave for so long?"

I gulp, and turn to look at the other two but they have already left, leaving the two of us alone. Thanks a lot. I wasn't prepared for this question but I decide the best way to do it is to answer honestly, "To be honest, I couldn't handle it."

He raises his eyebrows, "Johanna and Annie said that we were in love. Is that true?"

I hesitate then nod my head. I take a step closer and sit in the chair next to his bed. I show him my left hand, which still wears the wedding ring, "We were going to get married, see?"

He nods, "But then we got in a fight, right?" I nod and he looks confused. "So why are you still wearing the ring?"

I laugh a little under my breath, "Because the last time I took this ring off we ended up not speaking to each other for weeks. I never take it off now. Never."

He picks up my hand from my lap to examine the ring. The mere touch of his fingers sends shiver running through my body. I missed that.

He looks up at me, his face stunned. For a second, I see a little of the fog in his eyes clear up, "I-I think I," he starts, but then his eyes go back to being dull and he shakes his head as if to clear it. I realize I am gripping the arm of the chair so tight my knuckles are turning white. For a moment, hope had rushed back to me. It looked as though he was going to say that he remembered something but then it was gone, just as quickly as it came. Maybe there is hope for him though, and clearly it is a good thing I came back. This is more progress than Johanna and Annie ever told me about.

Just then, the nurse walks into the room, "You will have to go now Miss Everdeen. Visiting time is over. But you can come back again tomorrow."

I don't argue with her. I stand up, wave goodbye to Peeta and head out the door. I meet Johanna and Annie outside the hospital, "Thanks for ditching me." I say playfully.

Johanna shrugs, "We figured you two should have some time alone. So what happened?"

I quickly fill them in on the weird moment of clarity Peeta had and they both look shocked.

"But that means his memory is coming back doesn't it?" Annie asks hopefully.

I shrug my shoulders, "Maybe. I'll ask the doctors tomorrow if-" I cut myself off as I see him walking down the path in front of me.

I walk over to him quickly, "Gale!" I call and he turns and sees me.

"What is it?" he asks.

I catch him by surprise, slamming him against the wall of the nearest building, "I swear to God Hawthorne, if you were the one who did this to Peeta, you will regret it."

"What happened to Peeta?" he asks, confused.

"Don't play with me Gale." I say, "He lost his memory."

Gale looks shocked but says, "Look Katniss, I didn't even know anything had happened. I know he makes you happy-"

I cut him off "He _did_ make me happy, before he was attacked. Someone hit him in the head. That's what caused the memory loss. You've been out to get Peeta for years Gale!" Now I'm yelling at him. There is no one else in this district that has anything against Peeta. I can't believe I didn't see it before.

"Katniss I'm not trying to hurt you anymore. I just want you to be happy. I knew he made you happy so why would I hurt him?" he says. I can tell he is pleading with me now.

That's when I lose it. I'm barely aware of is my limbs making contact with Gale's body and face as I scream at him. I can feel Johanna trying to rip me off of him but I don't give in. Eventually, I am just too tired to keep going and I sink to the ground sobbing. I can't bring myself to move and I can't even see through my tears.

I feel my self being lifted up gently but I am still crying. Suddenly I feel extremely light-headed. I close my eyes to try to dull the ache I feel in my head. Eventually, I just let darkness take over and my body falls into a deep sleep.

* * *

**Yay! Chapter 16 done! So remember what I said about trying to top 10 reviews after this chapter. I respond to all of them so you will get a response to any questions you might have. I hope you guys liked it! Oh and let me know who you think attacked Peeta. I had a couple of people guess last time but although they were good guesses, they were incorrect. **

**Here are the review responses:**

**Mama'sBrokenHeart: I always love your reviews. They are so random and funny that they never fail to make me smile. Thanks for reviewing again and I hope you liked this chapter!**

**ilovepeeta4ever: Don't freak out! Everything will be sorted out soon enough, just be patient. Thanks for reviewing!**

**Thg-delirium: Your review made me so happy. I will always continue my stories as long as you guys like it and I always appreciate your support. That's why I respond to every review. I want you guys to know that I love them and I read all of them. Anyway, thank so much for the sweet review and btw, I listened to that song and I love it!**

**j (Guest): Thank you! Please tell me who you think it is, I want to know if anyone will guess it, although it is doubtful ;) Here is an update!**

**Guest: I'm sorry, it's not back to normal yet :( And things probably won't be the same, but Katniss and Peeta will be able to get through it, like they always do. Thanks for reviewing!**

**ThaliaFairbain: It wasn't him...who else do you think it could be? Here is an update and thanks so much for reviewing!**

**ionilove: Sorry, you don't get to find out who did it yet :( And your reasoning behind Gale was spot on so good job on that :) Here is the next chapter and thanks so much for your amazing reviews!**

**candyluver88: Here is an update, although things aren't cleared up yet. I hope you liked it!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey guys! Sorry for the really long wait. I was having major writer's block :( but I got an idea so I'm writing again! But my first day of school is Wednesday so after that I won't have as much time to update. Don't worry, I will still be writing but I will try to update at lest every weekend. So I hope you guys like this chapter and please, please, please review! I'm trying to get to 100 reviews by the end of this story so review if you want to help me reach this goal :) Enjoy!**

* * *

"What did I do in the Games?" Peeta asks me.

I am sitting in his hospital room answering his questions. We have sessions like these every day. We sit there for hours on end and all he does is ask questions. There haven't been any signs of him remembering since the first time I talked to him again. I'm starting to get worried. And desperate. This whole process is a nightmare. Right after he recovered his memory enough to remember who I really was, he loses his memory again. This time it is replaced not with a dark twisted version of events, but blankness. We have worked our way through his childhood in the district, through the reaping, through the training nd interviews, and are now at the Games.

I sigh but explain to him in grave detail what happened during our first time in the arena. Just as I get to the part where I found Peeta in the riverbank, a nurse walks into the room.

"Sorry to interrupt but we have some good news." she says, smiling.

I stand up immediately, "What is it?" I ask.

"Well according to Peeta's last brain scan, it appears that his memories may still be retained but he just can't get to them." she explains.

"You mean he could still remember everything?" I ask hopefully.

She nods hesitantly, "I don't want to give you any false hope but yes he could. However, I don't think sitting in a hospital bed is going to help him much. He is showing no symptoms other than his memory loss so I think that he should be free to go."

Peeta's face breaks out into a huge grin, "So I can leave?" he asks. It's obvious he's been wanting to escape this place for a while now. I would get tired of sitting in a hospital bed doing nothing after one day. I don't know how he managed it for months.

"Yes you can go home." the nurse says happily.

An hour later, I am walking Peeta back home. He hasn't stopped smiling since he heard the news and I don't think he is going to stop any time soon. I stop at his front door, "This is your house." I say.

His smile falters a little, "I live there by myself?" he asks. I nod and he sighs, "What happened to my family Katniss? I know they died but I want to know how."

I hesitate, "They were killed in the war Peeta."

He looks confused for a moment then says, "Johanna and Annie told me there was a war between the Capitol and the Districts and that we fought in it. Is that true?"

I nod, "Yes but before the war started, the Capitol bombed district 12 and...you're family didn't make it out."

He looks upset for a minute but says, "Did we fight together in the war?"

"We were on the same squad if that's what you mean?" I ask him.

He shakes his head, as if to clear it, "No, I just...I feel like..." he trails off.

"What?" I ask gently.

He just shakes his head, "Never mind. Don't worry about it."

I sigh, "Well I'm going home to have dinner. Do you want to come?"

He nods, grinning again and I lead him to my house which is right next door. When I walk in, the shock on Annie and Johanna's faces are evident but Annie gets over it quickly and gives Peeta a hug.

"What are you doing out of the hospital?" Annie asks. I explain his situation and Annie looks so happy she could cry, "Well that's good then? He might be able to remember!" she says gleefully.

Annie runs off to the kitchen to get dinner. I sit down at the table and Peeta sits down next to me. Johanna sits across from him and eyes him almost warily, "Have you remembered _anything_ yet?" she asks.

He shakes his head, "No. Sometimes I feel like I am about to remember something but I never do."

Annie gives us all bowls of soup and bread and sits down with us. We start talking but I mostly stay out of the conversation. I pick at my food and think about what Peeta said. Is that what happened at the hospital that day? Did he start to remember something then forget it again? The same thing happened today when we were standing outside his house. He started to tell me something, then fell silent again.

"Katniss?" I hear Peeta ask.

I jump, "Sorry I didn't hear you." I say.

He chuckles, "Annie and Johanna say that we both won the Games because we threatened to commit suicide."

"Real." I say out of habit, then I cover my mouth. I didn't mean to say that.

Then I see it again. Some of that fogginess clears from Peeta's eyes and he zones out for a second. Then he snaps back to reality and says quietly, "Katniss can I talk to you for a second?"

I nod and stand up. We walk out of the kitchen and into the living room where he turns to me with a confused look on his face.

"What did you want to talk about?" I ask nervously.

He hesitates then says, "We used to play a game where I would ask questions and you would answer real or not real. Is that true?"

I nod, "How did you remember that?" I ask.

He shrugs, "It flashed through my mind when you said real. Maybe being out of the hospital and experiencing life again is triggering these memories?" he says.

"I hope so." I say, "I hate that all we do together anymore is ask and answer questions."

"Me too." he says quietly. Then he says, "I think I'm going to go home and get some sleep."

"Okay. Goodnight." I say. I don't want him to leave me, but maybe a good night's sleep is what he needs. I think he's right. There are things out here in the district that will trigger his memories better than any doctor could try to do.

I walk him to the door and just before he leaves he hesitates, then turns and kisses me. I am shocked but I don't pull away. I feel shivers running down my body. This is what I missed. Talking to him, laughing with him, every time I kiss him I get butterflies.

He pulls away but I don't want it to end, "Sorry." he says, "I just wanted to see if I would feel anything."

"And did you?" I almost whisper back to him, terrified of the answer.

He nods, "Of course I did. Goodnight Katniss." he leaves without another word.

I shut the door and turn around, leaning against the back of it. I brush my fingers across my lips gently, remembering the feeling of his lips on mine. He said he felt something when he kissed me. Does that mean he might still love me, even i he doesn't remember me? I shake my head, that's impossible. Unless he is starting to fall in love with me again? But all I've done is answer questions for him. Is it possible that he has been getting his memory back? Maybe not in events, but more like, feelings? I sink to the floor with my head in my hands. I'm so confused. Why did this have to happen?

I feel someone tap on my shoulder, "Katniss are you okay?" Annie asks.

I nod and stand up, "I'm fine Annie. I'm just...thinking."

She nods, "Okay well me and Johanna are going up to bed."

"Okay, goodnight." I say. She nods and heads upstairs. Not long after she leaves, someone knocks on the door, startling me.

I open the door, almost hoping to see Peeta but instead I see...Gale. He has tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Gale?" I ask, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry Katiss. I'm so sorry." he says.

"What are you talking about?" I ask.

He hesitates then says, "I know who attacked Peeta."

* * *

**Cliff hanger! I'm sorry, I had to! You'll find out who did it next chapter. If I get enough reviews I might be able to update tomorrow but if I don't I will update this weekend. I hope you guys liked this chapter and don't forget to check out my other story Expect the Unexpected.**

**Here are review responses:**

**Mama'sBrokenHeart: I'm glad you liked the chapter. I couldn't make Katniss just sit there and do nothing. She had to realize that she needed to help. I always love your hyper reviews, they make me laugh every time I read them. Hope you liked the update!**

**ilovepeeta4ever: Thanks! You'll have to wait til next chapter to find out sorry :( Thanks for reviewing!**

**candyluver88: Thanks! Hope you liked the update!**

**Thg-delirium: Your review made me laugh haha. You had some good guesses as to who attacked Peeta but you'll have to wait til next chapter to find out for sure :) Thanks for reviewing!**

**DayDreamer1018: Thanks! You're a new reviewer so thanks for taking the time to leave a review :) Hope you liked this chapter!**

**j (Guest): Yeah, I thought Gale was a little too predictable too. That's why I had to think of someone else, which gave me severe writer's block :( Hope you liked the update and thanks so much for your sweet review.**

**Zalfie (Guest): I'm not sure who Johanna will end up with, if anyone. You'l have to wait and see if Peeta and Katniss get back together though :) Hope you liked this chapter!**

**ionilove: I agree, Katniss needed to pull herself together. But yes, now Peeta is remembering a little! Here is a new update :)**

**secretivemuch: He remembered a little so at least that's some progress right? Thanks for reviewing!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Hey guys! So even though I only got 7 reviews after last chapter, and I was hoping for more, I really want to tell all of you who the attacker is so I decided to post another chapter. I'm soooo sorry for the long wait. I started high school last week so I've been trying to get adjusted to the work load but starting this weekend, I will try to update both my stories every weekend. It would mean a lot to me if I could get 10 reviews for this chapter so please leave a short review :) Enjoy!**

* * *

_"Gale?" I ask, "What are you doing here?"_

_"I'm sorry Katiss. I'm so sorry." he says._

_"What are you talking about?" I ask._

_He hesitates then says, "I know who attacked Peeta."_

"What!" I yell. He just looks at me sadly. "How do you know who did it?" I scream at him.

"He told me today." Gale says, "I'm sorry Katniss. I should have known that was who did it. I didn't mean to hurt you."

I take a deep breath and press my hand to my temple. "Who was it Gale." I ask, my voice a deadly whisper.

"Before I tell you who it was you should know what happened that lead up to him doing it." he says.

"Tell me who it was!" I say, raising my voice.

Johanna comes running into the room, "What are you screaming about Brainless?" she asks, then freezes when she sees Gale. "What the hell is he doing here?" she asks angrily.

I ignore her and grab Gale's arm, dragging him into the living room. I sit down on the couch then look at him, "Talk." I demand.

He sighs then begins, "Okay, so about a week after you and Peeta got into the fight, I got a call from the Capitol saying that I had been reported for.." he trails off, almost scared to finish the sentence.

"For what Gale?" I ask impatiently.

"For rape Katniss." he whispers, "I feel horrible saying that but, Peeta turned me in to the Capitol for trying to...rape you."

My hand flies to my mouth, shocked. I guess Peeta really did still care about me after our fight if he turned Gale in. I didn't think that there was anyone to turn him in to but clearly there was. I guess after Gale kissed me that day, he had finally had enough.

"What does that have to do with who attacked Peeta?" I ask, "Unless... it was you?" This seems highly unlikely but I can't draw any other conclusions from his story.

He shakes his head, "No, it wasn't me. But after I got the call, the Capitol said that they would come, to take me to the Capitol." he gulps. I've never seen him look so scared.

"But no one came?" I say, confused, "You're still here."

He nods, "I know. They can only lock me up if you and Peeta both verify the story but I guess Peeta never asked you to."

I shake my head, "No, he never even mentioned turning you in."

"Exactly, so I was never convicted but now, if you and Peeta both tell the Capitol what I did, they will take me away." he says calmly.

I jump to my feet, realization dawning on me, "So that's why you haven't been doing anything to me!" I accuse, "You were never trying to be nice, or help me. You just wanted to save your own skin!" He is silent. "So it's true?" I ask quietly.

He hesitates, "Yes and no. At first I was being nice to you because I didn't want to go to jail but then I saw how happy you and Peeta were together and I felt horrible for what I did."

"Maybe I should turn you in." I say.

He jumps to his feet, "I don't think you will."

"Why wouldn't I?" I ask him, "You never cared about me. All you've done since I was reaped is hurt me. You deserve everything you're getting."

He smirks at me, "You won't turn me in because I know who attacked Peeta. If I go to jail, you'll never find out."

"What's to stop me from turning you in after you tell me?" I ask.

"I'm not telling you who did it until you go to the Capitol and tell them that Peeta made it up. That I didn't try to attack you. You get me off the hook, then I tell who attacked Peeta." he says with a sly smirk.

"So that was your plan all along huh?" I ask him, "You're blackmailing me to get you off the hook. So all that crap about how you didn't want to hurt me anymore, that was all a lie?"

"Not all of it." he says, shaking his head, "I do care about you, but I also care about staying out of jail."

I contemplate what he's said. If I tell the Capitol not to jail him, he'll tell me who attacked Peeta. Maybe catching the attacker will help progress Peeta's memory even more but then Gale won't be jailed. I groan and collapse on the couch, my head in my hands.

"So what are you going to do Katniss?" he asks.

I sigh, "I'll tell the Capitol you're innocent." I say. I hate him for making me do this, "Get out of my house Gale." I say.

He walks to the door, "Come get me when you tell the Capitol. And the Capitol will call me to tell me I'm off the hook so you're not going to be able to lie." He leaves without another word.

Johanna walks into the room and I look up, "Did you hear all that?" I ask her.

She nods, "You can't tell the Capitol he was innocent. Peeta did the right thing, he deserves to be locked up."

"I know!" I complain, "But if I don't, how will we find out who attacked Peeta?" I ask her.

"I don't know but we need to think of some way around this." she says.

* * *

It's been a week since Gale told me he knew who attacked Peeta. I've been trying to think of a way to get around his requirements and figure out who attacked Peeta myself but I'm stumped. The only clue I'll be able to get will come from Peeta himself and I can't get anything out of him. He has been making serious progress though. The other day, he remembered being reaped for the first Games. That's way more than he could ever remember in the hospital. We haven't really talked about the kiss last week but I've been thinking about it. Right now though, my main focus is trying to get him to remember who attacked him.

I am in the kitchen talking to Annie. I told her what Gale told me and she is as furious with him as me and Johanna. I should have known that he was up to something this whole time. His change was too drastic and sudden. There had to be some alternative motive, and now I know what it was. The last thing I want to do is to let him off the hook with the Capitol, but I don't know what to do._  
_

"So has Peeta made any progress?" Annie asks me.

I shake my head, "Not since he remembered the reaping."

She gives me a sad look but doesn't say anything. Suddenly Johanna comes running into the room.

"Katniss!" she yells, "Peeta's back in the hospital! He needs you there. He says he remembered something!"

I am out the door without another word.

* * *

**Sorry you didn't get to find out who the attacker was :( I swear, I will tell you next chapter though! A couple of you predicted that Gale must have been up to something and you were right. So I hope you guys liked this chapter and don't forget to review!**

**Here are the review responses: **

**ilovepeeta4ever: I'm sorry! You'll have to wait until next chapter to find out :( Thanks for reviewing!**

**Mama'sBrokenHeart99: Gale has been up to something for a while now and now you know what it is. I'm glad you liked the last update and I hope you liked this one just as much! And thanks, I had a great day at school :) Thanks for reviewing!**

**j (Guest): I know, I really sorry for taking so long between updates :( I'm not sure how many chapters this story will have. I'm not ending it any time soon though! Hope you liked the update!**

**Thg-delirium: No it wasn't Gale, but he isn't being much help either. Your review made me laugh. I'm so glad you are fangirling over my story! Hope you liked the update!**

**ionilove: I loved your review. I bet a lot of people are going to want to jump into the story after this chapter haha :) Hope you liked this chapter as much as you thought you would.**

**candyluver88: Well you don't get to know yet! You'll find out next chapter, I promise. Thanks for reviewing!**

**Guest: I know, the cliff hangers are kind of annoying. I left you on another one here but I have to keep people reading! ;) Hope you liked it.**

**Guest: I won't be ending this story any time soon so don't worry. Thanks for reviewing and I hope you liked this chapter!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Hey guys! I can not tell you how incredibly sorry I am for the long wait! I've been adjusting to managing my work load with all my other activities so I have had literally no time to write. And this past weekend, I was out of town and didn't have access to a computer. But I promise not only did I update today but I will put up a new chapter tomorrow too :) Anyway, this time, the attacker really will be revealed so I hope you guys like it!**

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I run as fast as I can to the hospital, bursting through the door with a gasp, trying to catch my breath. I ignore the receptionist's confused greeting and rush into Peeta's room.

"Peeta!" I yell, he looks startled but relieved, "You said you remembered something?" I ask desperately.

He nods, "I think..." he hesitates and my face falls. What if he's forgotten again? Then his face lights up and he pulls me down to him and crashes his lips against mine. My eyes grow wide but I smile and kiss him back, my arms wrapping around his neck. When he pulls away I see that he is smiling too.

"Is that what you remembered?" I ask.

He nods, "That's why I'm back in the hospital. I saw you with Gale, talking to him and...I got angry...but I didn't know why. I just hated seeing you with him."

"Peeta-" I start, not knowing how to explain what he did to me.

He puts a hand up, silencing me, "I know what happened Katniss and trust me, I'm going to kill him once they release me from this damn hospital."

"You remember that too?" I ask happily.

He nods again, "After I saw you two, I got angry and suddenly I was falling. My head was pounding and I didn't know why but I couldn't get back up. I passed out and I guess Johanna found me and took me here. It turns out the headache was memories, trying to come back to me. I guess seeing you with Gale triggered something in my head."

I can't seem to wipe the smile off my face and I throw my arms around him again, tears pooling in my eyes.

"Don't cry." he whispers to me.

"I thought you were gone." I said quietly, "I thought you left me."

He soothes me, patting my back, "I'll never leave you Katniss. I'm staying right here. Always."

I laugh, thinking of the meaning of that word to us. Then my last conversation with Gale comes to mind, "Peeta!" I yell, pulling away from him.

He looks startled and puts up his hands, as if in defense, "What?" he asks.

"Please tell me you remember who attacked you?" I almost beg him.

His face darkens, "I think I do. But I'm not positive."

"It wasn't Gale was it?" I ask and he shakes his head. I knew it couldn't be that easy. There is always someone else. Someone who wants to cause destruction, someone who enjoys tearing other people down to build themselves up, there is always someone like Gale. And somehow, a lot of those kinds of people manage to find me, or maybe I find them.

"Do you remember Gale's old friend?" he asks, "He worked in the mines with him?" I think about it but a face can't seem to come to mind and I sadly shake my head. Peeta groans, "I don't know his name. He has dark hair and gray eyes? He lived in the Seam?"

"Peeta everyone in the Sea has dark hair and gray eyes." I explain patiently.

His face falls, "Yes, but he worked in the mines."

I chuckle softly, but sadly, "Everyone I knew worked in the mines. We couldn't afford not to like your family. That's why everyone who died of starvation came from the Seam."

"I'm sorry Katniss. I don't know his name. I just know he was one of Gale's friends." Peeta says.

I pat his shoulder, "It's okay Peeta. I can figure the rest out. Just take it easy. Even though you refuse to say anything, I know you're still in pain."

He starts to shake his head but hesitates, then falls back onto his pillow in defeat. I laugh at him and kiss his forehead. He grabs me again and presses his lips to mine, "I missed doing that." he says quietly.

"Me too." I whisper, "I have to go. Don't worry. I'm going to figure this out."

My voice comes out confident but on the inside I am crumbling. Peeta may have thought he was helping, but there are so many people he could be talking about. The only real piece of information he gave me was that he was from the Seam. But most of the merchant kids died in the bombing so that was almost a given anyway. I refuse to give up though so I walk around town all afternoon trying to find someone who could fit Peeta's loose description. No one. I mean, I found plenty of Seam people who used to work in the mines but none were friends with Gale and some didn't even know Peeta was in the district let alone attacked. I give up. I resolve myself to keep looking tomorrow. If I don't, I'll have to tell the Capitol that Gale is innocent and I refuse to do that.

I walk back to the Victor's Village slowly, wracking my brain for any more people. I feel a tap on my shoulder and jump, startled.

"Sorry Katniss. It's just me." the man says. I look up at him and see Thom, "Do you know where Hazelle is? I've been meaning to pay her a visit but she isn't in their old house."

I start to tell him that I saw her in town but then I stop and look him over once more. Tall, Seam look, worked in the mines. Everything falls into place, he was one of the only people I knew who ever talked enough with Gale to be considered a "friend"...it was him. I don't have time to second guess myself. I just have time to act. This could be my last chance. For all I know, he could leave the district tomorrow and I might never see him again.

I grab him by the collar of his shirt and slam him against the wall of the house next to us, "I know." I say confidently.

"Woah, Katniss." he says, putting his hands up in defense, "What did I do?"

"You know what you did Thom!" I say, my voice raising slightly, "Peeta is in the hospital because of you!" I decide to milk it, in an effort to get the information out of him, "He could be dying and its your fault!" I scream at him.

His face darkens considerably but he tries to play it off, "I didn't even know Peeta was hurt Katniss."

His voice is convincing but the way he fidgets and avoids looking me in the eyes is not, not to mention the now angry look on his face.

"Your lying." I whisper to him, "I know what lying looks did it to me enough. He said he cared about me and look what happened. Now you're working with him to try to get him off the hook. Not only is he going to be imprisoned now that I know the truth but you are too."

Te angry look intensifies but this time it is accompanied by another emotion, one that can only be described as genuine fear, "So what if I did it?" he says quietly.

"So you did do it?" I ask.

He nods, "You figured it out. There's no point hiding it now. I never meant to hurt him that bad though." he says worriedly.

I scoff at him, "Of course you did. You wanted to make him forget about turning Gale in to the Capitol. And news flash, he's not dying. He's actually perfectly fine."

"You tricked me." he whispers in awe and disbelief and I nod, "You little bitch-" I slam him into the wall again, "Bye Thom." I say.

"Where are you going?" he calls after me as I turn to jog away, "I can just hurt him again...or you."

I whip around, "I thought that after you saw where that got Gale you would be smart enough not to try to do the same. But if you're dumb enough to try...go ahead...I'm wide open."

I stand there, feet firmly planted on the ground. I'm not moving. Gale caught me by surprise but this time...my attacker won't be as lucky. He doesn't move. He just looks at me for a moment. Suddenly Johann is racing around the corner. She looks at me as if confirming that this is the man we want. I just nod and that's when she goes for it.

"You sick bastard." she says at him in a deadly tone, "You have no idea the kind of crap those two have been through. How you are on Gale's side in this I will never understand!" That's when he turns to run and she launches herself at him. I have to hand it to Johanna, she is pretty strong for a woman her size. In less than a minute she has Thom on the ground, her foot planted on his chest. "Don't try to mess with me." she says.

I laugh, "Let him go for now Joahnna. He doesn't need to be here. The Capitol will find him."

Fear shoots across his face and he takes off running. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Johanna yells at me.

"I don't think he'll be bothering us anymore. But I'm still turning him into the Capitol." I say.

"You better." Johanna says.

We walk back to the house quickly, eager to call the Capitol.

"Johanna," I say once we get in the door, "I need you to go to the hospital and tell Peeta we found him I know he's worried." Johanna sighs but nods and heads out the door.

I walk swiftly through the living room to the telephone and dial the number for the Capital.

"Hello?" a voice says, "How may we help you today?"

"This is Katniss Everdeen." I say, "I'd like to confirm a report for attempted rape."

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**I can't help it. I'm sorry! You'll find out Gale's reaction next chapter. And I was also thinking about including Peeta's point of view when he gets his memories back? If you think that's a good idea then tell me. **

**candyluver88: Thanks for reviewing! Here is an update and I hop you liked it!**

**ilovepeeta4ever: I know he can be really annoying. But he is going to get what he deserves. Thanks!**

**Thg-delirium: He did! Finally right? Sorry for the long wait!**

**Safeandsound14: I know the cliff hangers can be annoying but they keep you coming back! Thanks!**

**Mama'sBrokenHeart: I know! I agree he is horrible but it looks like he is going to get turned in after all! Thanks somuch for all your reviews. They are so sweet!**

**j (Guest): I'm not sure if this matched what you thought of but I hope you liked it anyway! Thanks so much!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Here you go! Another update as promised! I somehow found time to write today so I could give you guys another chapter. I didn't get as many reviews as usual but I didn't give you much time to review did I? Well let's try to get more this time! Hope you guys like it :)**

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_I walk swiftly through the living room to the telephone and dial the number for the Capital._

_"Hello?" a voice says, "How may we help you today?"_

_"This is Katniss Everdeen." I say, "I'd like to confirm a report for attempted rape."_

"Oh yes. We have record of Peeta Mellark reporting a Gale Hawthorne for attempted rape. Would that be the one you are talking about?" the voice asks patiently.

"Yes, it is. I have have something else. A friend of Gale Hawthorne seriously injured Peeta Mellark resulting in memory loss." I say, getting angry just thinking about it.

"Another report from you?" the attendant asks, almost annoyed. I feel my face get hot and I stutter, not knowing what to reply. I must sound so helpless to them. A girl calling the Capitol with two charges because she can't handle her own problems. Then I think, there's nothing else I could possibly do about this situation besides calling them. What does she expect me to do?

"Yes, another report." I answer confidently, "I can't do anything about it without getting in trouble in my own district and I _thought_ the Capitol was to be of service with those kinds of things."

Now it's the woman on the other end who stutters, "Of-of course. I'm sorry, of course there was nothing more you could do. I will send your report in immediately. Be prepared to come to the Capitol in a week for a trial."

I nod nervously then remember I'm on the phone and say, "All right." The line goes dead and that's when my stomach starts to turn. What if he isn't found guilty? What if he is released? Then he would be angry and I would have no leverage against him. What would he do to me then? I'm almost scared to find out even though I keep telling myself that he can't hurt me. I get up and head out of my house and towards town. I need to enjoy this moment of victory as much as possible and that means...telling Gale myself.

I don't know where he is and I don't see him in town anywhere so I decide to go to his house. I knock on the door hoping Hazelle won't answer. It would break my heart to tell her myself that her son is going to be taken by the Capitol no matter how horrible he is. To my relief, it is Gale who opens the door. When he sees me, his face takes on a mixture of triumph and relief. I realize that he thinks I am here to tell him that I want to know who attacked him. He thinks I have proclaimed him innocent and now he will issue me my reward. How wrong he is.

"I called the Capitol." I say simply.

The smile grows bigger, "And now you've come crawling back to me to find out who the attacker was."

I shake my head, "No, I think you misunderstood me. I called the Capitol because I turned you in."

The triumphant grin melts off his face and pure fear takes its place. He tries to hide it after knowing a person for seven years, you can tell what they are thinking just by looking at their face.

"What?" he almost whispers, "Then I'll make sure he kills Peeta next time."

"No. You won't. I turned the attacker in too. Peeta got his memory back Gale. He gave me a description of your little accomplice and I found him. It's over Gale. You don't have anything against me anymore." I say, triumph now finding its way into my own voice.

Gale shakes his head in denial, "You're bluffing. You're trying to get me to reveal his name. I'm not going to do it Katniss."

I sigh, "It was Thom wasn't it Gale?" He is silent. "It's okay, he already admitted it."

"What!" Gale yells, "He ruined everything! Why did he tell you!"

I chuckle, "It was a little hard for him to lie with Johanna's foot pinning him to the ground. The trial is next week. Either you come of your own will, or the Capitol will take you there themselves."

I turn to go but he grabs my arm, "Please Katniss." he says softly, not trying to disguise his fear anymore, "Please don't send me to them."

He gives me a pleading look and for a moment, I see the old Gale. Before he killed my sister. Before he left me. Before he ruined my life and sympathy shoots through my heart but I push it down. He deserves this. He deserves everything he is getting. He tore the last shreds of my family apart. He almost ruined my life. He almost took the only person that still meant something to me away from me. I can't forgive him for that, no matter how hard I try.

"I'm sorry. It's already done." I say. I wrench my arm out of his grasp and leave the house. I don't even feel myself start to run but the next thing I know, I'm in front of the hospital, tears pooling in my eyes against my will.

I burst through the door and into Peeta's room, but he isn't there. I go back out to the front to ask where he is and the nurse said he was released earlier. I run back to the Victor's Village, my feet pounding on the dirt road, tears streaking my face. I burst through the door of his house ad scream his name.

He comes hobbling out of the living room and, upon seeing him, I burst into tears. He is by my side immediately, wrapping his arm around my shoulders protectively and leading me to the couch.

"What's wrong Katniss?" he asks patiently.

"I turned him in. Both of them." I say, speaking of Gale and Thom.

"Well that's good then isn't it?" he asks. I nod. "Then why are you crying?" he asks.

I wipe my eyes, "I don't know. I guess a part of me still sees Gale as my best friend. The only person I could talk to for years. But that's gone now. I don't know how things turned out so bad with him. What happened to him Peeta?" I ask.

He shrugs and pulls me into him again, "War Katniss. It affects some people more than others. I guess Gale got a little too caught up in it."

I chuckle dryly, "I guess everything leads back to the Capitol doesn't it. By the way, they set the trial for next week."

He nods, "Would it be alright if I came with you?" he asks.

I look at him in disbelief, "Of course you can come. I don't think I could handle it without you. They'll probably want you there anyway. You reported the case in the first place."

"Yeah, sorry for not telling you about that. I was really mad after you left and I felt like there was nothing else I could do." he says sheepishly.

"It's okay." I mumble, suddenly exhausted.

He laughs at me, "Go to sleep Katniss. It's okay." he says.

I sigh and cuddle up next to him. I find myself falling asleep in a place I never thought I would be again. In Peeta's arms.

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**Alright guys. That's the chapter. Sorry if it was a little short, it was just Katniss wrapping up loose ends and things like that. I really don't know where this story is going to go after the trial so if you guys have any ideas can you leave them in a review? Or PM me? Thanks for reading and don't forget to review!**

**Here are review responses: **

**Mama'sBrokenHeart: Yup, finally right? Katniss reported them so now they will get what they deserve. Thanks for reviewing. Yours always make me smile :)**

**Guest: Thanks for reviewing!**

**Jackie1024: Thanks so much! I'm not that great a writer though, really. I'm glad you like the story so far and hopefully I will hear more from you?**

**j (Guest): I know, it had been a while since my last update. Life got in the way. I swear I will try my best to update more frequently though okay? Glad you liked the chapter and I hope you like this one just as much!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Hey guys! The wait for this chapter was shorter so I hope you all like that. And I want to tell everyone to check out my new fanfiction called Back to the Ocean. It's basically Finnick's story. I have been obsessed with his character for a long time and finally decided to write the story I've had in mind for him. So please check it out!**

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I am so nervous. I feel like I might throw up and the only solution I managed to think of was pacing around the room like a caged animal driving everyone crazy.

"God will you stop pacing!" Johanna yells at, "He's going to get convicted. Stop worrying about it."

"How do you know? What if they let him go?" I ask, my voice heavy with fear and concern.

Gale's trial is today. Peeta, Johanna, Annie, and I are all waiting in the front of the courthouse for the case to be called in. All three of them are to be witnesses against him. My Capitol assigned lawyer is already in the courtroom, preparing for the case. All I can think about is how well Gale always manged to lie to me, to convince me he actually still cared about me. What if he can convince the jury that he is innocent. He'll be back in the District and this time, he'll be angry with me. He was taken to the Capitol three days ago and has been in a temporary jail awaiting the trial. The rest of us just arrived this morning, dragging ourselves out of bed before sunrise to catch an early train.

Peeta grabs my arm, "Sit." he says firmly, pulling me down next to him, "Relax." he says taking my hand in his.

"What if the judge doesn't believe us?" I ask, "We don't really have any real evidence do we?"

Peeta shakes his head, "That's not true Katniss. You have us. Who does Gale have helping him?"

I shrug, "I don't know. Maybe he _lied_ to someone else."

Peeta chuckles, "We're going to be okay Katniss."

The door opens and a woman calls out from a clipboard, "Katniss Everdeen?"

I star shaking as Peeta helps me to my feet and leads me into the huge courtroom. We take a seat and I steal a glance over to the other table where Gale, Thom, and their lawyer are sitting. He glares at me but his eyes are sad.

Both lawyers open the case but I'm not listening. My ears are ringing when I feel Peeta tap on my shoulder.

I look up startled and see that I am the first witness called up. I rise and shakily walk to the stand, trying to hold my head high. I swear that I will tell the truth and take a seat

"So, Miss Everdeen. What exactly happened on the day of the attempted rape?" my lawyer asks me.

I gulp. I don't want to talk about this in front of all these people but I have to, "Gale and I had gone into town and we were walking back home when he pulled me into an alley between two buildings. He told me he had feelings for me and he kissed me, but I pulled away. I told him I didn't have feelings for him and asked if we could be friends but he said no and he...he pinned me to the wall. I-uh-I started screaming but he covered my mouth." I see Peeta's hands tighten into fists, obviously angry but I ignore him, "That's when I realized what he was trying to do and I started crying. After a minute, I felt him get pulled off me and I dropped to the ground. It was Peeta. He knocked him out then carried me into the bakery where I fell asleep." I finish and when I do there are tears in my eyes, and Annie is crying.

My lawyer looks at me sympathetically, "Okay. I don't have any more questions for you. I just wanted you to tell everyone what happened." I sit down gratefully and he calls Peeta up and asks him how he found me.

Peeta replies, "I heard her screaming. The alley he pulled her into was next to my family's bakery so I left to go find her and when I went around the corner I saw him...holding her against the wall. So I pulled him off her and tackled him. I knocked him out then went to Katniss, who was crying. I took her into the bakery and let her fall asleep in my bed."

"And what happened to Katniss after that?" the lawyer questions, "How was she mentally?"

Peeta shakes his head, "Not good." he says with a dry chuckle, "She wouldn't eat unless I forced her. She rarely spoke to me and she stayed in bed for weeks. She thought he was her best friend but he betrayed her trust. Eventually she gave up and left."

"Where did she go?" the lawyer questions.

"To stay with Annie in District 4." Peeta replies.

He is released and Annie is called up to talk about what happened in District 4. She talks about how upset I was and how long it took for me to get over it. When she is released, she is crying again. Johanna talks about our encounter with Gale in District 12 when he taunted me in the streets and I was too scared of him to do anything about it so she beat him up herself. The story makes me laugh a little and Gale glares at me, clearly getting angrier with each passing witness.

Finally the moment I've been dreading arrives. Gale is called up to the stand.

"Explain in your own words what happened between you and Katniss that day." he is asked.

"Well its true that I pulled her into the alley and kissed her. But she's known I have feelings for her for a long time now and I thought she would respond positively. But she pushed me away."

"You're avoiding the question." my lawyer interjects, "We don't want to know about you kissing her. We want to know about the attempted rape afterwards."

"I made a mistake." he says, "I've known Katniss since I was 14 and I'm almost 20 now. I've apologized for it countless times. I wasn't even fully sober when I did it and it didn't get far enough to do any real damage."

I stand up, furious with him, "Only because Peeta pulled you off of me!" I scream at him.

The judge calls for order and Peeta pulls me back down next to him again.

"That doesn't change the fact that you mentally hurt a young woman who thought you were her friend." my lawyer states calmly.

Gale is released from the stand and I am called back up to describe what happened to Peeta. I relay the story of months of trying to get Peeta to regain his memory with no luck and how Peeta finally got his memory back, then how I searched for the attacker and found Thom. Finally, the story of how Gale threatened me to disprove the rape charge. Peeta is then called up to tell how he got his memory back when he saw me with Peeta. Then, last, Thom, who of course denies everything by saying Gale forced him into it. The jury is sent to deliberate and I feel myself get nervous again.

Peeta wraps an arm around me and I rest my head on his shoulder, "It's going to be okay." he whispers soothingly, "You did great."

"Thanks," I mumble. I am holding his hand so tightly it is turning white when finally, the judge returns to the courtroom.

"The jury has reached a verdict." he says loudly, "Both of the accused are proclaimed...guilty!"

I feel my body relax at once, warmth flooding back through my body.

"Gale Hawthorne is sentenced to five years in jail for attempted rape and helping with an attempted murder and Thom Engal is sentenced to four for attempted murder." he says, "Case dismissed!"

I jump up and Peeta picks me up and spins me around laughing, "You did it!"

"I know!" I say, giggling. He sets me down and kisses me softly, "I told you everything would be okay."

Annie engulfs me in a big hug, "Congratulations Katniss!" she squeals.

Johanna hugs me next, "So how does it feel to send that bastard to jail?" she asks quietly.

"Really good." I whisper back.

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**I know that chapter was a little short but it was just about the court case and sending those two bastards to jail :) I hope you guys liked the outcome. I'm not positive on where this story will go next so if you have any ideas, you can still tell me!**

**Here are review responses:**

**Mama'sBrokenHeart99: I'm glad you don't want this story to end and I don't either. I want to do Katniss and Peeta's life after this but I don't want it to be boring or get predictable, you know what I mean? Thanks for reviewing after every chapter! You are ususally the first reviewer and I'm really thankful for that!**

**Thg-delirium: I'm actually really glad you didn't guess that! I like surprising you guys instead of just making things predictable. Hope you liked this chapter!**

**Kittycatgirl101: Oh my god, thank you so much for reviewing twice! No one has ever done that before for one chapter :) And you are a new reviewer so that makes it even better. Hope you liked the update!**

**j (Guest): I'm glad you will still read it even if it takes me a while to update. The fact that you like it so much really encourages me to keep writing it. And I know! Katniss and Peeta are meant to be together! Hope you liked the update!**

**ionilove: Awww, thank you! I'm not as good as a lot of other people writing on fanfiction but I appreciate that you like my writing so much. That's my main goal. I hope you liked this chapter as much as the last one!**


	22. Chapter 22

**Hey guys! Sorry it's been so long but I've been having major writers block for the past week, unable to think of ideas for this story. The next few chapter are going to be relatively drama free as Gale and Thom are now in jail. I'm focusing on Katniss and Peeta for a little bit but I do want to add some drama in here and there so if you have any ideas let me know. This chapter is mostly filler and it's going to be a little short but most of it is going to be from Peeta's POV! Anyway hope you enjoy this chapter even though it's been a while. Please review!**

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The train ride back to District 12 is fairly joyous compared to the gut wrenching ride here. I can't seem to wipe the grin off my face but at the same time, something feels wrong. I sort of feel like I've done something bad, something irreversible. The smile on my face doesn't disguise my mood from Peeta, who grabs my arm and pulls me into another compartment.

"What's wrong?" he asks.

"Nothing," I say quickly, trying to brush off his concerns.

He raises his eyebrows at me, "I know you're lying Katniss. I thought you would be happy now. Everything's back to normal."

I groan and sink to the ground, "No it's not Peeta. Finnick is still dead, Prim is still dead, Gale isn't my best friend, and District 12 is still being rebuilt from the accident _I_ caused! Nothing will ever be back to normal."

Peeta looks at me sadly, "Is that what you're upset about?"

I shrug, "I don't know. I guess, I just feel like after knowing Gale for so long, I'm doing something wrong. We were partners. We did everything together and no matter how hard it was, or how much we struggled, I trusted him. I guess I still don't believe that he could betray me like that."

Peeta wraps an arm around me and I rest my head on his shoulder, "If he was willing to do something like that to you, then he didn't deserve to be your best friend." Peeta says softly.

I shake my head, "You don't understand Peeta. The war changed him. It destroyed him mentally. What he did wasn't really him."

"The war changed all of us Katniss!" Peeta says, raising his voice a little, "Just look at what it did to Annie! That doesn't give him any excuse."

I sigh, "I know it doesn't. It just doesn't feel right."

"I know it doesn't. It's better now though. He won't be able to hurt you anymore." Peeta says gently.

I nod slowly, trying to accept what happened but my brain can't get around it. When I look at Gale, I see a man that nearly ruined my family and my relationship with Peeta, but t the same time, I see the boy who helped me years ago, when no one else would. That image of him will always stop me from coming to terms with his imprisonment. I try to allow my body to relax though, my head to drop to Peeta's shoulder, and allow myself to fall asleep.

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**Peeta P.O.V.**

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I glance at Katniss's sleeping form with a mixture of kindness and exasperation. Gale has done nothing but hurt her since the war ended and I think he deserved everything he got. I just wish Katniss would agree with me so we wouldn't have to fight so much about it. The war really has changed everyone. It killed people we cared about and left the broken ones with no one to turn to for stability. I mean, just with the people sitting here, Katniss has lost most of the people in her family, Annie would probably have gone mad if it weren't for her son, Johanna has been alone for years, and I was hijacked by the Capitol. Not for the first time, I feel the extent of the Capitol's power wash over me as I see how they still manage to hurt us after their demise.

"Don't beat yourself up about her." Annie says quietly, breaking into my thoughts, "She still sees the boy in him."

Johanna scoffs, "She just doesn't want to see the war-torn version of him."

I feel anger wash through me but it fades quickly as I realize she has a point so I just nod feebly.

"She needs to get over it." Johanna says bluntly, "The Capitol tore all of us apart, she's no exception no matter what powers her Mockingjay status brought her."

I shoot her a glare, "She didn't even want to be the Mockingjay."

Johanna chuckles, "But you can't tell me she didn't use it to her advantage? Hell, she still does."

"She's right Peeta." Annie replies timidly, "But not in a bad way," she quickly corrects herself, "She only does it for people she loves."

I feel my cheeks burn as Annie smiles at me, "She doesn't love me." I say quickly, trying to cover up my embarrassment.

Johanna laughs, "Yes she does. She has for a long time, even if she didn't know it."

There is a long silence but it's not awkward, it's nice. Gives everyone a minute to put their thoughts together.

Johanna breaks it gruffly but saying, "So when are you going to propose?"

I gape at her as Annie snickers next to me, "How do you know I'm going to?" I ask her.

"You love her and you were going to do it anyway before..." she trails off. Even Johanna is uncertain about crossing that line.

I shrug, "I know. But I don't know if she'd be interested anymore, if she would want to deal with me."

Annie laughs softly, "You seem to be forgetting that she has said yes to you before."

I shudder, thinking of our horrible fight that nearly ruined Katniss's life, "I'll never forget that." I say softly.

No one presses the subject any further and soon I feel Katniss stirring on my shoulder. Just in time too. I see the District 12 station not too far off.

"Are we there yet?" she asks, making me chuckle.

"Almost." I say. She nods and gets up to pace around the train again.

"Would you stop it and just sit down." Johanna says impatiently, "We're almost there."

Katniss shoots her a glare but sits down, crossing her arms as she does so. After a couple minutes of tense silence, we pull into the train station and she jumps up eagerly, ready to get off this train.

We head back to her house in the Victor's Village where Annie busies herself in the kitchen making dinner and Katniss sits down on the couch, her head resting on her hand. Johanna shoots me a look then raises her eyebrows in Katniss's direction. She smirks and walks into the kitchen, leaving me alone with Katniss.

I chuckle to myself at Johanna's blunt attitude and sit down next to Katniss. She glances over at me but quickly averts her gaze.

"So," I start, "What now?"

She shrugs, "I don't know. I don't know what to do now. I mean we _were_ engaged right?" she shakes her head, "But then we started fighting, and then you lost your memory and...I just don't know what to do anymore."

I take her hand gently, trying to gauge her reaction. She doesn't pull away but looks at me expectantly, as if waiting for something.

"How do you feel about everything?" I ask her, "About us?"

She shrugs, "I don't want to get hurt Peeta." she whispers.

I wrap my arms around her, pulling her close, "I won't hurt you. I'm staying right here. Always."

* * *

**Alright, so like I said it's a little short but I'll make up for it next time. I know what's supposed to happen in the next chapter so this was where it needed to cut off. I hope you liked it despite the length :) Please review and if you have a couple minutes, click over to my profile and check out my new story about Finnick called Back to the Ocean! And one last thing, I have 99 reviews so the first person to review this chapter will be my 100th reviewer! Oh my god guys that's absolutely amazing, especially with only 22 chapter! Thank you so, so, so much to all my reviewers.**

**Here are the review responses:**

**ilovepeeta4ever: Yep! Finally right? Thanks for reviewing!**

**Kittycatgirl0: That's okay! I actually liked that you reviewed twice! I'm glad you liked how long the last one was because this one isn't very long :( Thanks for reviewing!**

**Mam'sBrokenHeart: Your reviews are so funny :) Don't worry though, they won't be getting out of jail anytime soon. Hope you like the update!**

**I want Starbucks: I will be skipping around a bit but not that far forward...yet ;) Thanks for reviewing!**

**Thg-delirium: I'm glad you liked it! Hope you liked the update even though it wasn't very exciting.**

**Tacolover3000: Thank you so much! That review made my day. It means so much to me to know you are enjoying my stories! Maybe you could check out my new one? It's about Finnick...:)**


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